Chicco® TurnAfter2tm Study Reveals 26 Percent Year-Over-Year Increase In Parents' Awareness Of Rear-Facing Car Seat Guidelines

LANCASTER, Pa., June 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Chicco® releases new research revealing that, compared to 2017, 26 percent more parents are aware of the 2-year rear-facing car seat safety recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). This increase in awareness comes one year following the launch of Chicco's TurnAfter2tm campaign, a national movement that asked parents to share photos of their children riding rear-facing in the car using #TurnAfter2 in their captions, resulting in more than 2,500 organic posts on social media, along with ten states introducing legislation requiring children to be rear-facing until at least age 2. In 2018, TurnAfter2 aims to reach the 28 percent of parents who still don't know the appropriate age at which to turn their child's car seat forward ? or those who may mistakenly put their child forward-facing in the car for the wrong, but well-intentioned, reasons.

"Car seat safety and education are a top priority at Chicco," said William Hasse, Vice President of Marketing for Chicco USA. "In 2017, we created TurnAfter2 to educate parents in a constructive way. In 2018, we're asking parents to continue sharing their rear-facing success stories to inspire others to do the same ? so all children are riding safely in the car."

This year's TurnAfter2 study also uncovered other good news ? rather than reaching for a search engine, parents are going to the experts for car seat advice: pediatricians. In fact, seven-out-of-10 (71 percent) parents with kids under age two saying they talk to their pediatrician about the right time to turn their child around in the car.

Still, Chicco found that parents who turn their child forward-facing prematurely are not reading the right cues: 40 percent think their child's legs look too cramped, 32 percent think their child simply looks uncomfortable while riding rear-facing and 19 percent say they will turn their child around based solely on what they see other parents doing.

"I can appreciate parents wanting their children to be comfortable in the car, but parents who are worried that their child looks cramped can rest assured that they are comfortable, and more importantly, safe," said Dr. Benjamin Hoffman, a nationally recognized expert on the topic and unpaid car seat safety consultant for Chicco. "I'm thrilled to see an increase in awareness from parents ? because I'm confident that as the years go on, we'll see more and more parents keeping their kids rear-facing longer!"

As in 2017, Chicco is encouraging parents to share how they're keeping their children riding rear-facing for two years or longer ? whether they opt for a Chicco Fit2® Infant and Toddler Car Seat or a combination of the top-rated Chicco KeyFit® 30 Infant Car Seat and Chicco NextFit® iX Convertible Car Seat ? by using the #TurnAfter2 hashtag on social media to share photos of their rear-facing-riding kids. The hope is that by posting these images, parents will inspire their peers to keep their kids rear-facing for as long as possible and open the dialogue for parents to talk with each other about car seat safety. And, those who choose to get involved may reap the benefits ? Chicco will be hosting product giveaways on its social media channels in connection with #TurnAfter2 throughout the year to recognize parents who help spread the campaign message.

For more information on TurnAfter2 and how to get involved, visit www.turnafter2.com. To learn more about Chicco's car seat portfolio and determine the best option to keep little ones safe on the road, visit www.chiccousa.com and follow Chicco on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates on product launches, giveaways and more.

ABOUT CHICCO

Chicco USA is the American subsidiary of Chicco, the leading European baby brand with global headquarters in Como, Italy. Chicco is the only multi-specialist baby brand in the world, providing babies from birth to 36 months with all the products they need to grow, covering the toys, fashion, gear, nursing, and baby care categories. Founded in 1958, Chicco is part of the Artsana SpA group, one of Italy's leading family-owned corporations with more than 7,000 employees and 25 branches throughout the world.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

The 2018 Chicco 2YRF Survey presents the findings of an online survey conducted by ORC International from April 3-8, 2018 among a sample of 502 American parents of children ages 0-2. The margin of error for a sample of this size is ± 4.4% at a 95% level of confidence.

SOURCE Chicco USA