The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducted the National Child Restraint Use Special Study in 2011, observing the use of car seats and booster seats for child passengers from birth to 8 years old in 4,167 vehicles. NHTSA also interviewed drivers on their attitudes and beliefs about car seats and booster seats and their confidence with installing them. The NCRUSS is a nationally representative survey that was conducted at the sites where NHTSA also collects data from its National Automotive Sampling System (NASS). In the weighted data of child passengers (birth to age 8) in 4,167 vehicles, 50 percent of children used forward-facing car seats, 31 percent of children used booster seats, and 13 percent of children used rear-facing car seats. A total of 6 percent of children did not use car seats or booster seats. The majority of children were observed sitting in the second row of the vehicles, with 37 percent of them sitting at the second row left seat, 12 percent in the center seat of the second row, and 47 percent at the right seat of the second row. NCRUSS also studied misuse rates of car seats and booster seats. NHTSA assembled a group of internal subject matter experts to determine how “misuse” should be defined for purposes of this study. Not every divergence from a perfect installation was considered misuse; instead misuse was identified as characteristics of installing the car seat/booster seat to the vehicle, or of restraining the child in a car seat/booster seat, that may reduce the safety of the car seat/booster seat for the child occupant. Analysis of overall misuse estimated that one or more misuses existed in 46 percent of all car seats and booster seats. By seat type, calculated percentages were: forward-facing car seats (61%), rear-facing infant car seats (49%), rear-facing convertible car seats (44%), backless beltpositioning boosters (24%), and highback belt-positioning boosters (16%). NCRUSS also studied use of the child restraint anchorage system required by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 225. Data showed that, in seating positions equipped with lower anchors and tether anchor, more forward-facing car seats equipped with lower anchor connectors and tether strap were installed with lower anchors connectors and tether strap (48%) than seat belts (27%). Total lower anchor connectors use by rear-facing car seats in seating positions equipped with lower anchors amounted to 87 percent. For the rear-facing car seats that were not installed with lower anchors connectors, 83 percent were placed in seating positions equipped with lower anchors and tether anchor. NHTSA recommends using a tether strap with a forward-facing car seat regardless of whether the car seat is installed with seat belt or lower anchor connectors. It is not necessary to install a rear-facing car seat with a tether strap, although some car seat manufacturers do recommend them. In NCRUSS, total tether strap use by forward-facing car seats in seating positions equipped with lower anchors amounted to 61 percent. However, for forward-facing car seats that did not install with tether straps, 97 percent were placed in seating positions equipped with lower anchors and tether anchors. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting