Rear-Facing Rules for Car Seat Safety

Most parents know that babies should be in a rear-facing car seat until the baby is one year old and weighs 20 pounds. Parents often aren't sure whether their baby is an exception to the rule, or whether they should turn their baby around immediately when he or she reaches the minimum age and weight.

I consider the one year/20 pounds rule to be a minimum safety standard, and suggest that babies should stay rear-facing to 30 pounds or more, depending on the manufacturer's limits for each baby's car seat. Based on advice from child safety and car seat advocacy groups, as well as my own experience as a child passenger safety technician, here are some compelling reasons to keep your baby in a rear-facing car seat.