How to Protect Children from Injuries in Car Accidents

Car accidents are one of the top causes of childhood injury and death. In 2018, 636 children under the age of 12 died and 97,000 were wounded in car crashes in the United States.

From assessing the performance of child restraints to examining teenagers’ driving behavior and evaluating the safety of future driverless vehicles, the Center for Child Injury Prevention Study is always researching and advocating for improved ways to protect children on the road.

Among their most recent studies, CChIPS researchers examined the validity of rear-facing Child Restraint System (CRS) guidelines using newly available real-world automobile accident injury data.

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A recent amendment to New Jersey crash police reports demands the inclusion of information about CRS orientation. The researchers were able to correlate this data with hospital-reported injury statistics.

They discovered that in motor vehicle crashes involving children under the age of two, only 57% were seated in rear-facing restraint systems, despite the fact that New Jersey law requires rear-facing restraint systems for children under the age of two. Additionally, they discovered that while children in forward-facing restraint systems and rear-facing restraint systems both visited the emergency department following a car collision, children in forward-facing seats were diagnosed with injuries at a substantially greater rate. While many babies despise being positioned in a rear facing position and cry as soon as their parents place them in a CRS, the study’s real-world accident data confirmed the American Academy of Pediatrics’ and car seat manufacturers’ recommendations.

Other recent investigations conducted by academics at the CChIPS examined

• the effect of booster seat belt placement
• the effect of reclining car seats in child-involved collisions
• preventing heat stroke by the use of sensors
• Several other studies have been conducted on various types of child restraints in various sorts of car crashes.

The CChIPS just released a video detailing their aim, their collaboration with industry, and how they teach young researchers to continue protecting children from auto crash injuries.