Related Experiment Videos
Motor vehicle crashes, restraint use, and severity of injury in children in Nevada
S J Niemcryk1, C R Kaufmann, M Brawley
1Resources Analysis Branch, Office of Science and Epidemiology, Bureau of Health Resources Development, Health Resources and Services Administration, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
Insights
Child restraint use in car crashes remains low, particularly for older children and African-American children. Restraint use is linked to less severe injuries in seriously injured children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Trauma
- Motor Vehicle Safety
- Public Health
Background:
- Examined rates and determinants of restraint use in seriously injured children in car crashes using the Nevada State Trauma Registry.
- Assessed injury patterns in children involved in motor vehicle accidents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the rates and factors influencing child restraint use in motor vehicle crashes.
- To analyze injury patterns associated with restraint use in pediatric trauma cases.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Nevada State Trauma Registry for children aged 14 and younger with serious crash-related injuries.
- Study period spanned from January 1, 1989, to December 31, 1992.
Main Results:
- Higher crash injury rates were observed in rural versus urban areas.
- Restraint use was 61% for children under two, but only one-third for children over three.
- African-American children (ages 0-4) had significantly lower restraint use (5.3%) compared to Caucasian children (47.2%).
- Unrestrained children experienced more adverse outcomes and different injury types.
Conclusions:
- Child restraint use in serious motor vehicle crashes is low and influenced by demographics.
- Restraint use was associated with less severe injuries in seriously injured children.
Introduction:
Data from the population-based Nevada State Trauma Registry were used to examine rates and determinants of restraint use in children who were involved in a car crash and seriously injured. Patterns of injuries in these children are also assessed.
Methods:
Data were obtained from children 14 years of age or younger who entered the Nevada State Trauma Registry because of a serious injury caused by a car crash. The study period was from January 1, 1989, to December 31, 1992.
Results:
Average annual age-specific crash injury rates per 100,000 were higher in rural areas than in urban areas. In children younger than two years old, 61% were restrained at the time of the crash; however, only about one third of all children over the age of three were restrained. In ages 0-4 years, only 5.3% of the African-American children were restrained at the time of the crash compared with 47.2% of the Caucasian children. Children who were not restrained were more likely to have more adverse outcomes and to have different types of injury compared with their restrained counterparts.
Conclusions:
The use of restraining devices in children who suffer a serious injury in a motor vehicle crash continues to be low and appears to be related to specific demographic characteristics. The findings indicated that restraint use at the time of the crash was related to less severe injury as indicated by certain outcome variables.