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Published on: September 21, 2017
Child passengers injured in motor vehicle crashes
Eduardo Romano1, Tara Kelley-Baker1
1Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 11720 Beltsville Drive, Suite 900, Calverton, MD 20705-3111 USA.
Insights
Driving under the influence with children remains a significant concern, as alcohol-positive drivers were more prevalent in crashes involving injured children. Existing child endangerment laws may be insufficient to deter this behavior.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Safety
- Traffic Safety Research
- Public Health
Background:
- Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of injury for children aged 0-14.
- Limited research exists on non-fatal crashes, with most data from fatal crash databases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the occurrence of non-fatal motor vehicle crashes involving children aged 0-14.
- To identify risk factors associated with these crashes.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from the General Estimates System.
- Examination of non-fatal crashes over a decade.
Main Results:
- Drivers testing positive for alcohol were more common in crashes involving injured children (2%) compared to non-injured children (1%).
- Speeding and failure to obey traffic signals were more prevalent than alcohol-positive driving.
Conclusions:
- The persistent rate of drinking and driving with children suggests current child endangerment laws may be inadequate.
- Further research and policy evaluation are needed to improve child safety in vehicles.
Introduction:
During 2010, 171,000 children aged 0-14 were injured in motor vehicle crashes. Despite the severity of the problem, research has been limited, and most of what we know about these children emanates from fatal crash databases.
Method:
Using information from the General Estimates System, this effort examines the occurrence of non-fatal crashes among children aged 0-14 over the last decade.
Results:
We found that about 1% of the non-injured children in the file had been driven by a driver who was positive for alcohol. This percentage climbed to about 2% among children who had suffered injuries. Compared with the proportion of alcohol-positive drivers at the time of the crash, the proportion of drivers who sped or failed to obey a traffic signal was significantly higher.
Practical Applications:
The finding that drinking and driving with children did not decrease over time questions the adequacy of the extant child endangerment laws.
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