EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHILD SAFETY SEATS IN ACTUAL USE

A comprehensive review is presented of casualty-reducing effectiveness estimates of child safety seats in actual use, obtained by statistical analyses of highway accident data. Recent analyses of large samples of New York and Maryland accidents show statistically significant injury reductions for child safety seats; so does a new analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's accident files. Results from Washington State, Tennessee, New Jersey, and Idaho are also reviewed, as are Nationwide restraint usage and fatality trends. The findings are critically examined for possible data biases. It is concluded that child safety seats definitely reduce deaths and injuries in highway crashes, but that their effectiveness cannot be accurately estimated at this time because of inconsistencies and possible biases in the various studies.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • SAE Child Injury and Restraint Conference Proceedings P-135 co-sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration held October 17-18, 1983, San Diego Hilton, San Diego, California.
• Corporate Authors:

  Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

  400 Commonwealth Drive
  Warrendale, PA  United States  15096
• Authors:
  • Kahane, C J
  • KOSSAR, J
  • CHI, GYH
• Conference:
  • SAE Child Injury and Restraint Conference Proceedings P-135 co-sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration held October 17-18, 1983, San Diego Hilton, San Diego, California.
• Publication Date: 1983-10

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 113-124

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Chemical reduction; Child restraint systems; Fatalities; Injuries; Measures of effectiveness; Statistical analysis; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness
• Old TRIS Terms: Reduction
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I81: Accident Statistics; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00387267
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: SAE 831656, HS-036 760
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 30 1984 12:00AM