This article reports on a study that explored the automobile seating patterns and corresponding risk of injury among newborns to 3-year-old children in child safety seats in the rear row of vehicles model year 1990 or newer. The authors note that current guidelines for optimal restraint of children in motor vehicles recommend the center rear seating location for installing a child-restraint system. The study included crash data from 16 states collected on child occupants (n = 5,358) from December 1, 1998, to December 31, 2006, via insurance claim records and a validated telephone survey. Children were classified as injured if a parent or driver reported an injury corresponding with Abbreviated Injury Scale scores of greater than 2. Seating position distribution for child occupants was as follows: left outboard (31%), center (28%), and right outboard (41%). There was an inverse relationship between the center position and increasing child age (39% for occupants less than 1 year old versus 18% for occupants 3 years old), independent of the number of additional row occupants. Child occupants seated in the center had an injury risk 43% less than children seated in either of the rear outboard positions. The authors conclude that recommendations should continue to encourage families to install child car seats in the center of the rear seat.
Abstract