Objective/Purpose: NHTSA has estimated that 80 - 90% of children are incorrectly restrained in vehicles. New laws have increased age and weight requirements for seats, however misuse of these seats can be as harmful as non-restraint. Use of child restraints is often addressed, as in Healthy People 2010, however misuse is rarely addressed. Methods: Data from 39 child restraint inspection events occurring at various locations throughout a large metropolitan area during a 19-month period (2/1999 to 9/2000) were analyzed. Events consisted of an intensive inspection of child restraints for proper installation. A standard form was used to record errors and recommendations regarding proper adjustment and appropriate restraint type. Geographic analysis examined spatial implications of inspection locations, participants travel distance, and SES. Results: 858 seat positions were inspected, in which 96.4% had at least one error. Most common errors were the vehicle belt NOT holding the child seat tight (65.6% Rear-Facing)(76.7% Forward-Facing) and the harness straps NOT snug (57.3% Rear-Facing)(57.8% Forward-Facing). Conclusion: Even though it can be argued that parents with concerns about the fit of their seat would be more likely to participate in an inspection, the finding that fewer than 5% of seats checked had no misuse validates NHTSA’s estimates. Of great concern is that for every type of car seat more than 60% were not held tightly in the seat of the vehicle. The risk here is if the seat is not snugly installed it could be ejected or become dislodged resulting in serious injury to the child.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this session participants will be able to: 1)state the estimated child car seat misuse rate, 2)identify the most common errors found in car seat installations, and 3)identify efforts to decrease misuse and simplify car seat installations.
Keywords: Children, Motor Vehicles
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.