Rear-facing up to 18kg

In most countries, car crashes are the leading cause of death of children aged one and above. Statistically, Group 1 children (from approx. 9 months to 4 years of age) see a significantly higher rate of injuries compared to the rearward facing group 0+.* (source: WHO Europe, European Report on Child Injury Prevention, S.9; NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts 2003, p.1).
This statistic can be attributed to the child’s growth, as the head of the child is still relatively large and heavy and the neck muscles are not yet strong enough to withhold the forces of an accident.

Only at the age of approximately four years, the head size in relation to the body evens out and the neck muscles have developed sufficiently to cope with heavier strains.

In rear-facing car seats, the forces of an impact are distributed evenly over a large area. The strain on the neck, head, and chest is significantly reduced.

Therefore, physicians, accident researchers and consumer and health organizations, as well as we at CYBEX, recommend the transport of babies and toddlers in rear-facing child seats for as long as possible. A rear-facing car seat reduces the risk of injury in a head-on collision by more than 80 % when compared to a forward-facing system car seat, as the force of an impact is distributed evenly over a large area.* This evidence-based recommendation is supported by test results from leading, independent German consumer organization such as Stiftung Warentest and the highly regarded General German Automobile Club ADAC as well as by the UN Norm R129: This regulation determines that children need to travel in a rear-facing position until they have reached 15 months of age and 76 cm in height.
 
 * According to research conducted by VTI – Swedish Road and Transport Research Institute (Rapport 489A, 2003)

Booster Seats

The idea behind a child restraint system is to adapt the car's safety belt system to the size of the child. The standard UN R44/04 indicates that a booster seat for children weighing more than 15kg is theoretically sufficient to fulfill this purpose. The UN R129, on the other hand, provides that children are transported with car seats with backrest at least up to 135 cm high if homologated as an R129 booster seat. However, children should use a car restraint system up to the height of 150 cm.
 
Due to the compact design of a car seat with a backrest, we recommend using a car seat equipped with adjustable backrest and lateral protection. CYBEX group 2/3 car seats can only be used with the backrest. This is the only way to offer maximum safety for your child. When compared to seats with a backrest, booster seats do pose a higher risk of injury. The main problem is the missing side protection.
 
A child seat with a backrest has side protectors that prevent the child from hitting the window in the case of a side impact collision. With a booster seat, however, the vulnerable parts of the child’s body are not sufficiently protected. Additionally, the routing of the seat belt cannot be adjusted to the height of the child so that the belt is often too close to the neck.
 
Thanks to the backrest, the child is accompanied by the seat as it grows. Additionally, the child not only sits much firmer in the seat itself but is also much better protected due to the correct position of the seat belt.

A simulation of a car crash only using a booster seat: