Overview

Motor vehicle injuries are the greatest public health problem facing children today. In fact, they are the leading cause of death among them (CDC 2003).
 
 
Occurrence and Consequences

• In the United States during 2002, 1,543 children ages 14 years and younger died as occupants in motor vehicle crashes, and approximately 227,000 were injured. That’s an average of 4 deaths and 622 injuries each day (NHTSA 2003).
   
• Of the children ages 0 to 14 years who were killed in motor vehicle crashes during 2002, 50% were unrestrained (NHTSA 2003). Of the children ages 4 years and younger who were fatally injured in 2002, 40% were unrestrained (NHTSA 2003).

 
Risk Factors

• One out of four of all occupant deaths among children ages 0 to 14 years involve a drinking driver. More than two-thirds of these fatally injured children ride with the drinking drivers (Shults 2003).
   
• Restraint use among young children often depends upon the driver’s restraint use. Almost 40% of children riding with unbelted drivers were themselves unrestrained (Cody 2002).
   
• Many children who ride in child safety seats are improperly secured. A survey of more than 17,500 children found that only 15% of children in safety seats were correctly harnessed into correctly installed seats (Taft 1999).    

• CDC Spotlite on Child Passenger Safety
   
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

• Safe Ride News

• The National SAFE KIDS Campaign
   

References

Braver ER, Whitfield R, Ferguson SA. Seating position and children's risk of dying in motor vehicle crashes. Injury Prevention 1998;4:1817.

CDC. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System [Online]. (2003). National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (producer). Available from: URL: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars. [2004 Jan 13].

Cody BE, Mickalide AD, Paul HP, Colella JM. Child passengers at risk in America: a national study of restraint use. Washington (DC): National SAFE KIDS Campaign; 2002.

Durbin DR, Elliott MR, Winston FK. Belt-positioning booster seats and reduction in risk of injury among children in vehicle crashes. JAMA 2003;289(14):2835–40.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) (US), Department of Transportation. Traffic Safety Facts 2002: Children. Washington: NHTSA; 2003 [cited 2004 Jan 13]. Available from: URL: www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSF2002/2002chdfacts.pdf.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (US) Department of Transportation. Buckle Up America: Child passenger safety week. Washington (DC): NHTSA; 2002 [cited 2002 May 15]. Available from: URL:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/airbags/buckleplan/CPS Week Planner_files/index.html.

Shults RA. Child passenger deaths involving drinking drivers—United States, 1997−2002. MMWR 2004;53(4):77–9.
 
Taft CH, Mickalide AD, Taft AR. Child passengers at risk in America: a national study of car seat misuse. Washington (DC): National SAFE KIDS Campaign; 1999.

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This page last reviewed 08/05/04.

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