Axkid, a leading brand in child car safety, has released its much-anticipated report, "Child Safety in Cars 2025," which sheds light on the behaviours and knowledge of parents regarding child safety and car seats. The study, conducted across Sweden and the UK, highlights notable differences in regulations, public awareness, and the use of car seats for young children. With separate reports for each country, the findings draw attention to how much more can be done to improve child safety on the roads.
One of the key findings of the report is the stark contrast between Sweden and the UK in their approach to child car safety. In Sweden, there is a national recommendation that children should travel rear-facing until at least the age of 4, with the preference being for them to remain rear-facing for as long as possible. This contrasts sharply with the UK, where the law only mandates rear-facing travel until children are 15 months old, in line with the European Union's regulations.
Significant Differences Between Sweden and the UK
One of the key findings of the report is the stark contrast between Sweden and the UK in their approach to child car safety. In Sweden, there is a national recommendation that children should travel rear-facing until at least the age of 4, with the preference being for them to remain rear-facing for as long as possible. This contrasts sharply with the UK, where the law only mandates rear-facing travel until children are 15 months old, in line with the European Union's regulations.
Despite overwhelming evidence showing that rear-facing travel can be up to five times safer for children in cars, the UK lacks additional national guidelines that encourage parents to keep their children rear-facing beyond this age. In fact, this gap in recommendations is one of the primary reasons why parents in the UK are not always aware of the potential risks associated with turning their children forward-facing at a young age.
UK Parents May Be Putting Their Children at Risk
The report reveals concerning statistics about how children travel in cars in the UK. The law allows for children to turn forward-facing at 15 months, and many UK parents follow this guidance, often turning their children forward-facing before or around the age of 2. According to the findings, only 69% of children in the UK up to 2 years old always travel rear-facing, while 27% are forward-facing before reaching this milestone.
In contrast, Swedish parents are much more likely to adhere to the safety recommendation of rear-facing travel. In Sweden, 96% of children up to 2 years old are kept rear-facing in their car seats. When examining children between the ages of 2 and 3 years (+11 months), the gap widens significantly: only 22% of children in the UK remain rear-facing, while a staggering 83% of children in Sweden are still in rear-facing seats.
The Lack of Guidance and Its Impact
The research suggests that a lack of proper guidance and information is a major barrier to improving child safety in traffic. Parents need to be equipped with the right knowledge to make informed decisions about how their children travel in cars. The report stresses that this responsibility does not only fall on parents but also on governments, authorities, and manufacturers like Axkid to provide better education and resources regarding car seat safety.
Axkid is calling for greater collaboration between all parties to ensure that parents receive the most accurate and up-to-date information. The company recognizes the important role of safety regulations, but it also believes that additional recommendations and educational efforts can significantly improve outcomes for children on the road.
The Road Ahead
As the "Child Safety in Cars 2025" report demonstrates, there is still much to be done to improve child car safety in both Sweden and the UK. While Sweden’s more stringent guidelines offer a clearer path to child safety, the UK is in need of further recommendations and public awareness campaigns to ensure that parents understand the full importance of rear-facing travel.
Axkid remains committed to being at the forefront of the conversation about child car safety, working to raise awareness and encourage safer practices for all families on the road. By providing parents with the knowledge and resources they need, Axkid hopes to reduce risks and ensure that every child can travel in the safest way possible.