Child Occupant Protection: Latest Knowledge and Future Opportunities – Results of a 2015 Workshop in Gothenburg, Sweden

Child occupant protection research remains a critical need for industry, academia, government and safety advocacy organizations. While reductions in fatalities and serious injuries have been achieved, motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of death and disability for children and adolescents and as a result, represent a public health priority. To facilitate international coordination and sharing of knowledge around this topic, the fourth biennial international workshop on Child Occupant Protection was convened in September 2015, bringing together worldwide leaders in the fields of child occupant protection, biomechanics, and auto safety to critically review the state-of-knowledge in the field and identify high-priority research topics and strategize toward their implementation. Summaries of previous workshops were presented at the 2011 and 2013 Protection of Children in Cars Conferences. The following describes the recommendations that emanated from the 2015 meeting.