Axkid Marks Annual Rear-Facing Month to Promote Child Car Safety

Axkid, a leader in child car seat safety, is marking its annual Rear-Facing Month campaign this May. The initiative is dedicated to educating parents and caregivers on the importance of keeping children rear-facing in car seats for as long as possible. Axkid recommends that children travel rear-facing until at least 4–5 years of age - and preferably longer - as this significantly reduces the risk of serious injury in the event of a collision.

Extended rear-facing is widely regarded as best practice in child passenger safety. Leading organisations including the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and European road safety authorities such as the Swedish Transport Agency all recommend keeping children rear-facing for as long as possible. But despite clear safety recommendations, many children are still turned forward-facing too early, increasing their exposure to serious injury in the event of a crash.

Sweden’s Leadership in Child Car Safety - But a Critical Gap Remains

Sweden is a global leader in traffic safety, built on the principles of Vision Zero and strict child safety recommendations. Unlike many other European countries that follow EU legislation requiring children to travel rear-facing only until at least 15 months, Sweden stands out by combining regulation with strong national guidance. Authorities and organisations such as NTF (National Society for Road Safety) recommend that children remain rear-facing until at least 4–5 years of age.

This approach has had a clear impact on behaviour. According to Axkid’s Child Safety Report 2025, 83% of children aged 2–4yrs in Sweden travel rear-facing, compared to just 22% in the UK. By age four, the share drops to 40% in Sweden, while in the UK only 10% of children remain rear-facing.

However, despite strong recommendations and relatively high adoption, a critical safety gap remains in real-world usage.

Folksam, the Swedish insurance company, recently analysed 99 fatal crashes involving children aged 0–6 in Sweden (1992–2024). Its findings show that many of the children aged 0–3 who died were not travelling rear-facing as recommended, and that a significant share were either turned forward too early or not restrained at all.

Among children aged 0–3:

· 69% were not travelling according to recommendations, meaning rear-facing to at least 4 years old.

· Only 28% were in a rear-facing seat, while 34% were forward-facing and 33% were unrestrained.

· Up to 48% of fatalities were assessed as potentially survivable with rear-facing travel.

· Among children under four who were in a forward-facing seat, 12 out of 19 (63%) could have survived if they had been rear-facing instead.

These findings reinforce that correct usage of child restraint systems is not just a recommendation, but a life-saving factor.

A Continued Industry Effort

“Rear-Facing Month is something we initiated several years ago to keep attention on an issue that remains critically important,” says Anton Wall, Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer at Axkid. “We’re 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.”

Campaign Activities and Offers

Throughout May, Axkid will:

· Share educational content and safety guidance for parents

· Collaborate with partners and retailers to spread awareness

· Offer promotional pricing across its full range of rear-facing car seats

Rear-Facing Month will conclude with a major Safety Conference in early June, where Axkid will invite partners and stakeholders from across the world to share the latest news, insights and findings from the child safety industry.

About Axkid

Axkid is a leading innovator in car seats, dedicated to promoting rear-facing travel for increased safety. The company was founded in 2009, and with its Swedish heritage in safety, innovation, and design, Axkid is making roads safer today across Europe and North America and parts of Asia, Africa, Oceania, and South America. The products are sold through retailers and their own e-commerce platform. By educating on traffic safety and providing the best protection and comfort for young adventurers, they also offer peace of mind to parents around the world.