Facts
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 14 and under.

Fifty percent of children ages 14 and under killed in motor vehicle crashes were not safely restrained.

Approximately 220,000 children ages 14 and under suffered injuries in motor vehicle crashes in 2002.

The majority of the children killed by airbags in motor vehicle crashes were unrestrained or improperly restrained.

The majority (75 percent) of motor vehicle crashes occur within 25 miles of home.
Most crashes occur in areas where the speed limit is 40 mph or less.

One-third of children ride in the front passenger seat, increasing the risk for injury and death.

Background
Many unintentional injuries and unintentional injury-related deaths can be prevented with precautionary measures, such as the proper use of age-appropriate child safety seats. Children can get hurt when parents or caregivers do not put children in age/size appropriate child safety seat or belt restraints while riding in a vehicle.

Protecting your child does not stop when they outgrow their child safety seat and belt-positioning booster seat (make link to child passenger safety page). It is important for the whole family to always use safety devices while children are young. This forms a foundation for good habits when young adults are passengers in other’s cars or begin driving themselves.

• Children under the age of 13 should not ride in the front seat of a vehicle – with or without passenger seat airbags. The back seat is the safest place for children riding in vehicles by reducing the potential impact of head-on crashes.
• Airbags, when properly used with the vehicle’s lap/shoulder belt system, can save adult lives. However, airbags can be deadly for children.  Never place a child in a seat equipped with an airbag.
• While the backseat is still the safest place, children older than age 13 can ride in the front seat, but proper seatbelts should be used in conjunction with an airbag.
• Popular cargo vehicles such as pickup trucks, may not be as secure as other vehicles for transporting children. Limited cab space often leads to parents allowing their children to ride in the cargo area. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, children riding in pickup truck cargo areas are ten times more likely to die in a collision than in other vehicles. Ejection (being thrown from the vehicle) is the main cause of injury and death for cargo passengers.
• Unintentional trunk entrapment (when children lock themselves in a trunk) can be fatal due to hyperthermia (heat stroke) and/or asphyxiation (suffocation). To prevent unintentional trunk entrapment, teach your children not to play in and around vehicles. Always lock the vehicle and keep the keys away from children. Carefully watch your children when they are around vehicles. Keep rear fold-down seats closed and latched inside the vehicle.
• Never leave children unattended in a vehicle. When left unattended, children may be able to start the vehicle or shift the vehicle into gear. In addition, heat build-up or dangerously cold temperatures inside a vehicle can quickly become fatal to unattended children.

Teen Drivers
 Although teen drivers, between the ages of 16 and 19, constitute almost 7 percent of all licensed drivers, they are involved in 15 percent of fatal motor vehicle-related crashes. Motor-vehicle-related crashes are the leading cause of death among 16- to 20-year-olds. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a 16-year-old driver is more than 20 times more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle crash than any other licensed driver.

Why are teenage drivers at higher risk?
There are two main reasons why teenage drivers are at increased risk for motor vehicle-related crashes that result in injury or death, including the following:

• Lack of driving experience: Less experience behind the wheel means the teenage driver is less able to detect and respond to traffic hazards, less in control of his/her vehicle, and less able to integrate speed.
• Risky behavior of teenagers: Teens tend to take more risks as they are influenced by their emotions, stress, and peer pressure. In addition, experimenting with alcohol and recreational drugs can impair a teenager's driving ability. Also, fewer teenage drivers tend to use their seat belts, increasing their risk of serious injury in a crash. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), less than one-fourth of high school students say they “always” wear their seat belts when another person is driving.
• Nighttime driving: Nighttime driving is more difficult for anyone, especially the novice driver. However, teenagers tend to do disproportionately more driving at night, increasing their risk of a fatal motor vehicle crash, as compared to daytime driving.

Tips for Safer Teenage Driving
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has made the following recommendations to ensure safer teenage driving:

• Pediatricians should emphasize the importance of safe driving to both the parents and teenagers, including the fact that teenagers need to develop driving skills with supervised practice.
• Set a good driving example as an adult.
• Establish limits on your teenager's driving privileges, such as a limited number of passengers and/or restricted nighttime driving.
• Impose penalties for irresponsible driving behavior.
• Supervise teenage drivers in vehicles.
• Make sure the vehicle is mechanically secure
• Get involved in community advocacy, such as helping coordinate alcohol-free events, to help support parent-peer initiatives and help teenagers avoid negative peer pressure.
• Support legislative advocacy that targets a reduction in motor vehicle crashes among teenage drivers, such as graduated licensing systems, stricter minimum driving age laws, and tougher safety belt laws.

Sources:  National SAFE KIDS Campaign, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC)

Stay Informed
American Academy of Pediatrics
Injury Free Coalition for Kids
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Safe Kids USA

For more health and safety advice, consult your local children’s hospital. For a national listing go to www.childrenshospitals.net/hospitalprofiles

Safety information found on the Get on Board with Child Safety! website is provided by the Get on Board with Child Safety! partner hospitals.

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