Urban and Rural Child Deaths from Motor Vehicle Crashes: United States, 2015-2019.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Transportation Safety

Background:

• Motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of death for children.
• Child passenger safety is influenced by restraint use and legislative policies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze child deaths in motor vehicle crashes based on rurality, restraint use, and state laws.
• To identify demographic and geographic disparities in child crash fatalities.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 2015-2019 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data.
• Calculation of death rates per 100,000 population by passenger and crash characteristics.
• Definition of optimal restraint use based on age and restraint type.

Main Results:

• Highest death rates were observed among non-Hispanic Black and American Indian or Alaska Native children.
• Death rates increased with rurality, with the highest rates in the most rural counties.
• Children not optimally restrained had higher death rates; laws covering younger ages were associated with higher death rates.

Conclusions:

• Proper restraint use and extended child passenger restraint laws (e.g., to age 9) can reduce child crash deaths.
• Significant racial and geographic disparities in crash deaths were identified.
• Policy recommendations include extending child passenger restraint laws to at least age 9.