I LOVE that these articles are getting out! Parents have been told for years that a 1 year old is safe forward facing.. and that is SO not true. The bones of a 1 year old are not strong enough to support themselves in a forward facing crash. Even the AAP now recommends Rear Facing until a minimum of 2 years old, but 4 years is even better! They make car seats now that can rear face up to 35 or even 40 pounds! (check out the Graco My Ride 65).
Stop by the Car Seat Safety board on JustMommies for more info
http://justmommies.com/forums/f705-car-seat-safety/