Protecting the Future: The Reality of Child Car Safety
The largest national study by Associação Criança Segura, carried out in Portugal, reveals a dangerous paradox: parents' great concern does not translate into correct safety practices.
Key statistics
Say it is a priority
Almost all parents say their children's safety in the car is their top concern.
The post-accident mistake
Did not replace the car seat after an accident, unaware of the risk of invisible structural damage.
The danger of rushing
Children turned forward-facing before age 2, unaware that rear-facing is 5x safer.
Why is rear-facing
5x safer?
In a frontal collision, a child's neck and spine cannot withstand the force of the impact when facing forward. Rear-facing spreads the impact across the whole structure of the seat.
Maximum protection for the spine and neck
High risk of serious neck injuries
The reality in Portugal
The knowledge test
Where do parents in Portugal trade safety for habit? We assessed their knowledge of the basic rules.
The 15-month rule
4 in 10Only 40% of parents know that the legal minimum age (R129 standard) for turning forward-facing is 15 months.
Legal limit: 135 cm
50%Only half know the final rule: in Portugal, a car seat is mandatory up to age 12 or 135 cm in height.
Second-hand
19%Only 1 in 5 parents check the expiry date of a used car seat.
Replacement
32%Only this group knows the seat must ALWAYS be replaced after any accident.
Where do parents look
for reliable answers?
Carers say they trust official and expert voices first to confirm their safety decisions.
Help us change
these numbers
The National Study “Protecting the Future” is the first step towards a National Strategy for Children's Road Safety Literacy in Portugal. Join us.