Is It Safer for Your Child to Ride in the Backseat?

It's not uncommon for children to ride in the backseat. While this sounds harmless, though, it could carry a higher risk of injury. According to a study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), automakers haven't taken appropriate measures to create a safe experience when riding in the backseat. So, what does this mean exactly?

About the Study

For the study, researchers from the IIHS analyzed over 100 automobile accidents in which a backseat rider aged 6 or older was killed while wearing a seat belt. Researchers found that head injuries sustained during such collisions were often fatal, regardless of whether the child was wearing a seat belt.

What's even more alarming is that the use of a seat belt was shown to cause or worsen injuries in severe collisions. Researchers discovered that wearing a seat belt can contribute to whiplash and other forms of collision-related injury.

When speaking about the findings, IIHS President David Harkey explained that backseats haven't necessarily become more dangerous over time. Rather, front seats have become safer. "It’s not that the rear seat has become less safe, it’s that the front seat has become more safe over time," said IIHS President David Harkey. “We hope a new evaluation will spur similar progress in the back seat.”

Why Riding Is the Front Is Safer

You might be wondering why it's safer to ride in the front seat rather than the backseat. In the study, IIHS researchers say automakers have made great strides to improve the safety of their vehicles for front-seat riders. In the front seat, for example, riders are typically protected with airbags. Found on both the driver and passenger side, airbags act as an inflatable shield upon impact to protect the driver and front-seat passengers from injury.

Furthermore, IIHS researchers say seat belts in the backseat have a lower risk of seizing up during a collusion. As a result, riding in the front seat could be safer than riding in the backseat.

Even though this study suggests riding in the front safer is safer than the backseat, many states have laws prohibiting children under a specific age from riding in the backseat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) even says that children under 13 years of age should be buckled in the backseat. According to the CDC, the deployment of an airbag could cause fatal injury to young children who are riding in the front seat during a collision.