The use and efficacy of child restraint devices. The Tennessee experience, 1982 and 1983

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Traffic Safety Research
• Pediatric Injury Prevention

Background:

• The Tennessee Child Passenger Protection Act mandated child restraint devices for children under 4 in 1978.
• From 1978-1983, 81 children under 4 died in Tennessee traffic accidents; only 2 used restraint devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of child restraint devices in preventing fatalities and injuries in motor vehicle accidents.
• To analyze the impact of increased child restraint device usage on child traffic fatalities.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of traffic accident data from 1978-1983 in Tennessee.
• Review of supplemental accident reports for motor vehicle accidents involving children under 4 in 1982-1983.

Main Results:

• Child restraint device use increased from 8% to over 30% between 1978 and 1983.
• Child traffic accident deaths for those under 4 decreased by over 50% during the study period.
• Children not using restraint devices were 11 times more likely to die in an accident compared to those using them. Holding a child offered no significant protection.

Conclusions:

• Child restraint devices are highly effective in preventing death and reducing injury in traffic accidents.
• The Tennessee Child Passenger Protection Act demonstrated a significant positive impact on child traffic safety.
• Adults holding children provided comparable risk to leaving them unrestrained.