The restraint use for all children from birth to 7 years old increased to 89 percent in 2007 compared to 84 percent in 2006, and this increase is statistically significant. This result is from the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), which provides the only probability-based observed data on child restraint use in the United States. NOPUS is conducted annually by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The 2007 survey also found the following: Restraint use for children driven by a belted driver continued to be higher than for those driven by an unbelted driver, and use among children driven by belted drivers was back up over 90 percent; Most children continued to ride in the rear seat of vehicles. In 2007, 95 percent of infants, 98 percent of children age 1 to 3, and 88 percent of children age 4 to 7 rode in the rear seat; Child restraint use continued to be higher in the West than other parts of the country in 2007. (Author/publisher)
Abstract