Identification of Safety Belt Restraint Usage Characteristics Related to Four- to Thirteen-Year-Olds

Involvement in road traffic crashes as vehicle occupants is a leading cause of death and serious injury among children. The objective of this study was to investigate child safety restraint-use characteristics and crash-severity factors in order to identify effective countermeasures to increase children’s safety. Crash data were obtained from the Kansas Department of Transportation from 2004 to 2008. Children were divided into two groups, aged four to seven and eight to 13, considering Kansas child restraint laws. Frequencies, percentages, and odds ratios were used to investigate restraint-use characteristics, seating positions, and injury severity. Logistic regression models were developed to identify risk factors which increased injury severity. Results showed children not restrained, riding with drunk drivers, and riding in older vehicles were more vulnerable for injuries when they were in crashes. The most frequent contributory causes related to children involved in crashes in Kansas were inattention in driving, failure to yield right of way, driving too fast, wet roads, and animals in the road. Based on the identified critical factors, countermeasures to improve child traffic safety were suggested which included age- and size-appropriate seat belt restraints, and the child being in the rear seat. It is important for parents and children to gain better education about these safety measures that are helpful to increase child safety on the road.