Observational surveys presented in this poster were conducted during the summers of 1996 and 1997 with the Indiana State Police assistance. Vehicles with child occupants were stopped as they entered parking lots of retail stores or shopping malls in eleven urban and rural areas in Indiana. Prior to the 1996 survey, information detailing the air bag dangers to children had primarily focused on rear-facing infants. Beginning in the fall of 1996, publicity surrounding air bag-related deaths of older children prompted extensive local and national campaigns urging the public to properly restrain children in the back seat of vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommended children under 13 years of age o ride in the back seat, and reinforced the message that the back seat was safer than the front. The 1996 survey results indicated that 162 or 34.7% of the 467 children 8 years old and younger observed were in the front seat. According to the 1997 survey results, 130 or 24.3% of the 540 children 8 years old and younger observed were in the front seat. Comparison of 1996 survey data with that of 1997 indicates that the message of buckling up in the back seat has affected practice positively. However, aggressive media and educational efforts must continue so that more children can benefit from riding in the back seat. (A)
Abstract