So it's still the safest position, even for kids who look constricted in a rear-facing seat. As long as kids are within the height and weight limits of the seat, they're most likely quite comfortable, too. Many rear-facing car seats now accommodate kids who weigh 40, 45, or even 50 pounds, and are up to 49 inches tall.
https://www.babycenter.com/0_how-long-to-keep-your-child-in-a-rear-facing-car-seat_10348811.bc
The additional support plus the way a rear-facing car seat moves in a crash gives your baby the best chance for survival and less chance of injury in a crash. The simple way to estimate crash force is weight times speed. A 10-pound baby in a 30 mph crash would experience an estimated 300 pounds of force.
https://www.thespruce.com/how-long-rear-facing-car-seat-293731
In a forward-facing car seat during an accident, your child's arms and legs fly forward and are more likely to be injured, says Ben Hoffman, a nationally recognized injury prevention specialist and pediatrician at the Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Oregon Health & Science University.
https://www.babycenter.com/0_how-long-to-keep-your-child-in-a-rear-facing-car-seat_10348811.bc
Children in the second year of life are five times less likely to die or be seriously injured in a crash if they ride in a rear-facing car seat. Turning a child under age 2 to a forward-facing position can result in head, neck or spinal cord injuries in the event of a crash. Babies under age 2 simply aren’t yet strong enough to withstand strong crash forces without the extra protection that a rear-facing car seat provides.
http://safeseats4kids.aaa.com/faqs/when/when-should-i-switch-from-a-rear-facing-to-forward-facing-car-seat/
Turning baby's car seat around isn't a milestone to rush on. It's actually a step down in safety, so don't be in a hurry to make the big switch. You may have heard that babies can ride forward-facing at one year old or 20 pounds from many well-meaning sources. That's the old standard, though.
https://www.thespruce.com/how-long-rear-facing-car-seat-293731
When sitting in a rear-facing car seat, most toddlers have limited legroom. Their legs usually touch the car seat behind them and may even have to be bent or crossed to fit. This can be troubling to some parents who worry that the child is uncomfortable. Or worse, that her legs could be hurt in the event of a crash.
https://www.babycenter.com/0_how-long-to-keep-your-child-in-a-rear-facing-car-seat_10348811.bc
Once your child exceeds the height and weight limit of his infant car seat, purchase a convertible car seat with a higher height or weight limit (most go to 35 pounds rear-facing) and continue to use it rear-facing until age two, or until your child hits the height or weight limit for rear-facing use.
http://www.parenting.com/article/car-seats-safety
www.thecarseatlady.com/. In a policy statement published in Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics now advises parents to keep toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age two, or until they exceed the height or weight limit for the car seat, which can be found on the back of the seat.
http://www.parenting.com/article/car-seats-safety
All children are safer if they remain in a rear-facing car seat beyond a year. Thanks to higher rear-facing weight limits on car seats, nearly all toddlers can remain rear-facing to age 2 and beyond. Some states in the U.S. have begun updating their child passenger safety laws to require rear-facing until age 2.
https://www.thespruce.com/how-long-rear-facing-car-seat-293731
When your child outgrows their infant-only bucket seat, it’s time to use a convertible car seat – a seat that can be used in a rear-facing position, and when they’re older, in a forward-facing position.
http://safeseats4kids.aaa.com/faqs/when/when-should-i-switch-from-a-rear-facing-to-forward-facing-car-seat/
when can kids face forward in a car seat
The kids can face forward in a car seat at Age of 2. After the age of 2 kids can face forward in a car seat. Kids can face forward in a car seat at the age of 2.