STUDY OF CHILD SAFETY SEAT MISUSE (ABRIDGMENT)

In this paper are summarized the results of a study conducted to assess the extent of child safety seat misuse and to determine the factors and reasons associated with each type of misuse. Data were collected by observing 1,006 children in safety seats in vehicles entering parking lots at Hardee's Restaurants in 10 cities. Overall, misuse was 65 percent. Toddler, infant, and booster seats were misused at a rate of 66, 59, and 62 percent, respectively. For the 734 toddler seats observed, 40 percent of the children were not harnessed, 33 percent did not have the seat properly secured with the vehicle belt, and 85 percent of the tether-type seats were not tethered. Almost all of those responsible (95 percent) were aware that the children were not harnessed. The most common reason given was that the child slipped out of or took off the harness. Nearly 80 percent of those who did not use the tether strap (when required) stated that they knew that the tether was required and indicated resistance to the installation of a tether anchor. Approximately 75 percent of those who incorrectly belted the seat to the vehicle did not realize the belt routing was incorrect. Only a small number of safety seats were not belted (7 percent). In addition, 71 percent of those facing infant seats forward knew the seat was supposed to face the rear of the vehicle. The findings indicate that safety seats that are easier to use and present fewer opportunities for misuse are more often used correctly. Several countermeasures are proposed to reduce misuse of safety seats.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1986/1059/1059-008.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=STUDY+OF+CHILD+SAFETY+SEAT+MISUSE+(ABRIDGMENT)&author=M.+Cynecki&author=M.+Goryl&publication_year=1986
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Operation Education and Regulation. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

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• Authors:
  • Cynecki, Michael J
  • Goryl, Michael E
• Conference:
  • 65th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1986-1-13 to 1986-1-16
• Publication Date: 1986

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 49-52
• Monograph Title: VEHICULAR SIMULATION AND USER BEHAVIORAL STUDIES
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1059
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Child restraint systems; Countermeasures; Design; Motivation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Misuse; User behavior
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00460081
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309040531
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-040 044
• Files: HSL, TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Nov 30 1990 12:00AM