An econometric estimate of the lifesaving effect of child restraint legislation.

This paper presents the first econometric estimate of the lifesaving benefit of automobile child restraint use legislation. In contrast to previous econometric analyses of safety regulations, a Poisson specification is employed to account for the rarity of childhood fatalities. Results of the modeling suggest that legislation reduces childhood fatalities by 41% among infants and 27% among toddlers. A simple simulation indicates that such legislation is currently saving the lives of about 125 children per year in the United States. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference, see IRRD 837684.