This issue of Crash Stats focuses on information in NHTSA’s Not-in-Traffic Surveillance (NiTS) system regarding children 14 and younger. The NiTS 2007 produced an overall estimate of 262 fatalities and 115,000 injuries to children 14 and younger in non-traffic crashes and non-crash incidents. Overall, an estimated 106 child fatalities occurred each year when pedestrians or other nonoccupants were struck by forward-moving vehicles, and 99 child fatalities occurred each year in backovers. The third most common not-in-traffic fatality scenario for children was hyperthermia or excessive heat while in the vehicle, which resulted in an average of 27 fatalities per year. The three most common not-in-traffic injuries involving children in declining order were extremities such as hands or feet caught in closing vehicle doors, falls while exiting or entering vehicles, and being cut by vehicle parts such as bumpers and license plates. (Author/publisher)
Abstract