Improvement in booster seat use in Tennessee

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Traffic Safety Research
• Child Passenger Safety

Background:

• Tennessee enacted an enhanced child safety restraint law in July 2004.
• The law mandated booster seat use for children aged 4 to 8 years.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the appropriate use of child safety restraints.
• To assess driver knowledge of the enhanced law before and after implementation.

Main Methods:

• On-site child safety restraint assessments and driver interviews were conducted.
• Data collection occurred at 34 sites across 3 urban Tennessee counties.
• Assessments were performed 2-3 months pre-law and 1 year post-law implementation.

Main Results:

• Appropriate booster seat use for 4- to 8-year-olds increased from 29% to 39% post-law.
• No improvement in restraint use was observed for children younger than 4.
• Black children aged 4-8 were twice as likely to be unrestrained compared to white children, both before and after the law.

Conclusions:

• The enhanced law led to improved booster seat usage among the targeted age group.
• Persistent racial disparities in restraint use highlight the need for further investigation.
• Barriers to booster seat use among Black child passengers require additional study.