feature AXKID
Rear Facing
Safety Drive Axkid is once again shining a spotlight on extended rear facing, using its annual awareness campaign to highlight why keeping children rear facing for longer remains one of the most effective ways to improve car seat safety.
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xkid is marking its annual Rear Facing Month this May, continuing its mission to educate parents and caregivers on one of the most critical aspects of child car safety. The campaign focuses on encouraging families to keep children rear facing for as long as possible, with the brand recommending a minimum of four to five years, and ideally longer. The importance of extended rear facing is well established across the global safety community. Research consistently shows that travelling rear facing significantly reduces the risk of serious injury in the event of a collision, particularly for younger children whose neck and spine are still developing. Despite this, many parents continue to move children into forward facing seats earlier than advised. Axkid’s campaign aims to address this gap between guidance and real world behaviour. While regulations in many European countries require rear facing travel only until at least 15 months, best practice guidance goes much further. Leading organisations including the World Health Organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics and European road safety bodies all advocate extended rear facing as the safest option.
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Research consistently shows that travelling rear facing significantly reduces the risk of serious injury in the event of a collision, particularly for younger children whose neck and spine are still developing.
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Sweden remains a benchmark market in this area, widely recognised for its long standing commitment to child passenger safety. Built on the Vision Zero approach, which aims to eliminate road fatalities, Sweden combines legislation with strong national recommendations. Authorities encourage rear facing travel up to at least four to five years of age, and this guidance has helped shape consumer behaviour. According to Axkid’s Child Safety Report 2025, 83 percent of Swedish children aged two to four travel rear facing, compared to just 22 percent in the UK. By the age of four, the difference remains significant, with 40 percent of Swedish children still rear facing versus only 10 percent in the UK. However, even in a market with high awareness levels, challenges remain. Recent analysis from Swedish insurance company Folksam highlights the consequences of incorrect usage. The study examined 99 fatal crashes involving children aged 0 to 6 between 1992 and 2024, revealing that many of the youngest victims were not travelling in line with safety recommendations. Among children aged 0 to 3, 69 percent were not travelling rear facing as advised. Only 28 percent were in rear facing seats, while 34 percent were forward facing and 33 percent were unrestrained. The data also indicates that up to 48 percent of these fatalities may have been survivable if the children had been travelling rear facing. Of those under four who were in forward facing seats, 12 out of 19 could potentially have survived had they been rear facing instead. These findings underline the importance not only of having clear guidance, but also of ensuring that it is followed in practice. Correct usage of child restraint systems remains a key factor in improving outcomes on the road. 12
Axkid continues to position itself at the forefront of this conversation. Anton Wall, Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer at Axkid, explains that the campaign was created to maintain focus on an issue that still requires attention across the industry. “Rear Facing Month is something we initiated several years ago to keep attention on an issue that remains critically important,” he says. “We are encouraged to see more of the industry joining the conversation, but too many children are still turned forward facing too early. We will continue to advocate for extended rear facing, in line with Swedish recommendations, because keeping children rear facing for as long as possible is central to our vision of setting a new global safety standard for children on the move.” Throughout May, the brand will roll out a series of activities designed to support both parents and retail partners. These include sharing educational content and practical safety guidance, as well as working closely with retailers to help communicate the benefits of extended rear facing at point of sale. Promotional pricing across its range of rear facing car seats will also form part of the campaign, helping to make these products more accessible to families. The initiative will culminate in a Safety Conference in early June, bringing together partners and stakeholders from across the child safety sector. The event will provide a platform to share the latest insights, research and developments, reinforcing the importance of continued collaboration within the industry. For retailers, campaigns such as Rear Facing Month offer an opportunity to engage customers on a topic that sits at the very heart of the nursery category. Car seats remain the number one safety product for families, and clear, consistent messaging is essential in helping parents make informed decisions.
As Rear Facing Month returns, the message remains clear. Extended rear facing is not simply a recommendation, it is a proven approach to improving child safety on the road. Through education, collaboration and continued advocacy, Axkid is working to ensure that more families understand and adopt this life saving practice.
axkid.com/uk
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11/05/2026 16:08