Child Restraint Safety

Child Passenger Car Seat Safety
When children’s car seats were first introduced in the 1930’s, they were used merely so parents would be able to keep an eye on their young children (Safe Ride 4 Kids, 2015). It was not until the early 1960’s when child passenger vehicle safety started becoming a priority, followed by the 1970’s, when child restraint laws first came into effect (Safe Ride 4 Kids, 2015). Although today’s modern vehicles aid in preventing severe passenger vehicle injuries and fatalities, young children are still dying from motor vehicle crashes at an alarming rate. Worldwide, around 830,000 children die from motor vehicle injuries each year—nearly 2,300 each day (Strasser, Whorton, Whalpole, & Beddington, 2010). Approximately
Hispanics have an average of 85% restraint use, compared to their whites at 96%. Macy, Cunningham, Resnicow, & Freed (2014) stated that white parents reports significantly higher proportions of age-appropriate restraint use on their 1-to 3-year old children, compared to their counterparts (85.3% compared to 61.3%, p< .001) (p. 266). Moreover, non-white parents of children under 8 years old were more likely to prematurely transition their children to a different restraint system than white parents (Macy et al., 2014). Lastly, 4.5% of parents with a minimum Bachelors degree have reported ever letting their 4-to 7-year old children ride in the front seat, compared to their counterparts (12.2% for parents with a high school education or less, and 14.7% with an associate/technical degree, p=.005) (Macy et al.,
In a study conducted by Waller, Hill, Maio, & Blow (2003), they examined alcohol’s role in motor vehicle injuries, and found that at least 21% of hospital injury patients surveyed had been drinking prior to the vehicle crash (Waller et al., 2003). These participants had higher rates of alcohol dependency/abuse problems, and were more likely to be unbelted and severely injured. Even marijuana use impairs cognitive functioning when driving, doubling the risk being involved in a motor vehicle crash (Li, Brady, & Chen, 2013). According to Li et al., (2013), drivers under the age of 35 are more likely to drive under the influence of drugs and alcohol, compared to older age groups (55.9% v. 47.1%, p=.010) (p. 207). Therefore, if drivers are not taking safety precautions while driving, they are less likely to be able to functionally care for children they have with them. This causes a huge public health