The use of belt-positioning booster seats (booster seats) reduces the risk of injury in a motor vehicle crash by 59%. (1) As the knowledge of the benefits of these seats is disseminated, drivers are not using them as often as other types of child occupant restraints. (2) Programs to increase the use of booster seats by drivers include education, donation, and incentives. However, these programs don’t appear to be as effective as legislation and enforcement in promoting child occupant restraint use. (3) In 2006, 33 states and the District of Columbia have enacted legislation requiring the use of booster seats. There are very few studies that considered the effect of legislation on frequency of booster seat use. (4, 5) The objective of this study is to compare the observed frequency of booster seat use among children four through seven years of age before and after enactment of legislation. (Author/publisher)
Abstract