Children in the car: car seats, rear-facing and the rules in Sweden

Children in Sweden should travel rear-facing until at least the age of four, and by law every child shorter than 135 centimetres must sit in a child car seat, a high-back booster or a booster cushion. A rear-facing seat must never go in the front seat with the airbag switched on. The seat has to be approved, fitted correctly, and the child must be strapped in without a thick winter coat under the harness. Those are the five things that matter.

It is Friday afternoon in a car park in Barkarby, it is raining, and your three-year-old is screaming that he wants to face forwards like his big sister. Giving in is easier than holding firm. But the car is where Swedish children suffer their most serious injuries, and rear-facing is the single biggest difference you can make. Here is what the rules say, which seat suits which age, and the mistakes we see most often.

Why rear-facing?

A small child has a head that is heavy in relation to the body, and a neck that cannot hold it back in a head-on collision. Facing forwards, the head is flung forwards with full force. Facing backwards, the whole body is pressed into the back of the seat and the force is spread across the back, neck and head at once. Sweden has recommended rear-facing since the 1960s, longer than most countries, and it is one reason so few small children die in cars here. The recommendation is at least four years, and there are seats that last until five or six.

The most common argument for turning the seat earlier is that the legs do not fit. Children sit with their legs crossed, pulled up or over the edges of the seat, and that is not dangerous. Leg injuries in rear-facing seats are rare. Neck injuries in forward-facing seats are not.

The right seat at the right age

Age (roughly)	Type of seat	Facing	For how long
0 to 9 or 12 months	Infant carrier	Backwards	Until the head reaches the top edge or the weight limit is reached
9 months to at least 4 years	Rear-facing child car seat	Backwards	Until the child reaches the seat's height or weight limit, ideally 5 to 6 years
4 to 6 years and up	High-back booster seat	Forwards	Until the car's seat belt fits properly without it
Up to 135 centimetres	Booster cushion	Forwards	Until the child is 135 centimetres, often 10 to 12 years
Over 135 centimetres	The car's own seat belt		Belt across the hips and the middle of the shoulder

The infant carrier is the seat most families swap too late. It is convenient to carry in and out, but once the head reaches the top edge or the child has passed the weight limit it should be replaced with a rear-facing seat, even if the child is only eight months old. A high-back booster is better than a backless booster cushion, for the side protection and because the belt stays in the right place when the child falls asleep and slumps over.

The rules that apply

• Under 135 centimetres: a child car seat, high-back booster or booster cushion. This is the law, not advice.
• Rear-facing seat in the front: only with the airbag switched off. With an active airbag, the blow from the bag can kill a child in a rear-facing seat.
• Forward-facing seat in the front: push the seat as far back as it goes, and only if there is no room in the back.
• The driver is responsible for making sure children under 15 are properly strapped in. That includes the three-minute drive to förskola (municipal preschool, from age one), and it is on the short trips that most accidents happen.
• Taxis: there is an exemption when no seat is available, but ask for one when you book or bring the infant carrier. Children under three should not sit in the front seat.
• Buses: no requirement for a child seat, but strap the child in with the seat belt if there is one.

Fitting: what most often goes wrong

1. Read the instructions for both the seat and the car. Not every seat fits every car, so check the manufacturer's list before you buy.
2. Isofix is the easiest to get right: the seat clicks into the car's anchor points and a support leg or top tether takes up the rotation. If you do not hear the click, it is not attached.
3. A belt-fitted seat must be pulled really tight. A seat that can be shifted more than a couple of centimetres sideways is too loose. Put your body weight into the seat as you tighten.
4. The support leg must stand on the floor, not on a storage compartment with a lid that will not take the load. Check the car's manual.
5. The internal harness should be tight enough that you can only fit one finger between the strap and the child's chest. Shoulder straps level with the shoulders, not far above.
6. Have someone who knows what they are doing check the fitting if you are unsure. Many shops that sell seats will do it.

Winter clothes in the car seat

This is the mistake almost everyone makes in November. A thick snowsuit or down jacket under the harness makes the straps feel tight, but in a crash the air is squeezed out of the jacket and the harness ends up several centimetres too loose. The child can then slide out. Dress your child in thin layers in the car, strap them in, and lay the coat or a blanket over the top. You can also put the jacket on backwards once the harness is done up. It is a hassle at every förskola pick-up in January, and it is still worth it.

The things you cannot compromise on

• The seat must be approved to a current standard. The label is on the seat.
• A seat that has been in a crash is thrown away.
• The child stays strapped in for the whole journey, even when crying. Pull over instead.
• Loose objects in the car, like a tablet or a bottle, become projectiles when you brake hard. Put them in pockets or in the boot.
• Never leave a child alone in the car, not in summer and not in winter.

Longer car journeys with children, with stops, food and what actually works in the back seat, are covered in Travelling with children.

How we do it with our families

Several of our families want the nanny to do pick-ups by car, usually in the family's own, and then we go through the seats together with a parent the first time: how it is fitted, how the harness is tightened, where the airbag is switched off. Aleksandra, who interviews every nanny herself, always asks about driving licences and whether the nanny has strapped a child into a rear-facing seat before. Sanna has a family in Vallentuna where she drives a four-year-old to swimming lessons every Wednesday. She takes his jacket off in the car park, tightens the harness and lays the jacket over him, every time, even when he protests. It takes one extra minute. Families with specific requirements about driving licences get a quote, there is more on the prices page.

This text is general information and does not replace advice from BVC (the child health clinic every family is enrolled in), your vårdcentral (local health centre) or 1177 (the national healthcare helpline). If you are worried about your child, call 1177. In an emergency, call 112.

Read more: Travelling with children · Holidays in Sweden with children · Childproofing your home · FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How long should children travel rear-facing?

Until at least the age of four, according to the Swedish recommendation, and ideally longer if the seat allows it. Rear-facing protects the head and neck in a head-on collision, which is the most common serious accident. Legs looking cramped is not a reason to turn the seat around, children are perfectly happy sitting cross-legged.

What does the law say about children in cars in Sweden?

Children shorter than 135 centimetres must use a child car seat, high-back booster or booster cushion. A rear-facing seat must never be placed in the front seat with an active airbag. The driver is responsible for making sure children under 15 are properly strapped in, and that applies to short trips too.

When can a child move to a booster cushion?

When the child has outgrown the rear-facing seat, at four at the earliest and often later. The booster cushion lifts the child so that the seat belt sits across the hips and the middle of the shoulder, not across the stomach or neck. It is used until the child is 135 centimetres, which for most is ten to twelve years old.

Can a child ride in a taxi without a car seat?

The law has an exemption for taxis when no child seat is available, but the exemption does not make the journey safe. Ask for a child seat when you book, many taxi firms in Stockholm have them, or bring the infant carrier. Children under three should never sit in the front seat without protection.

Can we buy a second-hand car seat?

Only if you know where the seat has been. A seat that was in a car that crashed must be thrown away even if it looks intact, and the plastic ages. Buy from someone you know, check that all the parts and the instructions are there, and that the seat is approved to a current standard.