A new study shows failure to properly restrain children in carseats or a seatbelt remains a leading cause of death for children involved in motor vehicle accidents. As reported today on the Well blog, the death rate decreased from 2002 to 2011, but thousands of children under 12 unfortunately died because they were not buckled in. Using a carseat or seatbelt could have saved many of those lives:
In 2011, 33 percent of children who died in motor vehicle accidents were not buckled in. While only 2 percent of children under age 1 rode unrestrained, 22 percent of those in that age group who died were unbuckled. An estimated 3,308 children under 4 are alive today because they were properly buckled in.
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“We can do more to help protect our children on the road,” [lead author Erin K. Sauber-Schatz, PhD] said “We have to make sure that children are buckled into age- and size-appropriate seats and seatbelts on every trip, no matter how short the trip.”
Many hospitals, including Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, offer car seat installations and inspections for new parents.
Previously: Precious cargo: Keeping kids safe in cars and planes
Photo by Kari Bluff
