When properly restrained in an age-appropriate child safety seat (CSS), the risk of fatality for children is reduced by up to 71%. In 2000, there were 41,821 traffic fatalities throughout the nation with 2,373 of these fatalities occurring in children ages 14 and under. If CSSs were used 100% of the time in the year 2000, it is estimated that they could have saved the lives of 458 children. The use of CSSs has been identified as an effective means of reducing the incidence of death and trauma incurred by young vehicle occupants involved in crashes. The primary purpose of the project reported here was to determine accurately a statewide CSS use-rate through a direct-observation survey of children at pediatric medical and day care centers. The study showed that 85.5 +/- 2.6% of children under four years of age in Michigan were restrained in a CSS when traveling in a motor vehicle. CSS use rates were highest in vehicles driven by a belted driver, females, and drivers between the ages of 30 and 59. When compared to a similar study conducted in 1997, CSS use has increased across all categories. The study also showed that compared to 1997, unbelted drivers are increasingly more apt to restrain child occupants. Although determining CSS use is a crucial part in the study of child passenger safety, it may not capture the entire traffic safety picture for children. Determining why CSSs are not being utilized and how they are being misused would provide critical information for more targeted Public Information and Education programs. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting