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Car booster seats prevent child injuries
ALBANY, N.Y., The injury rate for children ages 4-6 in motor vehicle crashes dropped by 18 percent after New York state began requiring booster seats in 2005, officials say.
"Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children in this age group," Dr. Richard F. Daines, state health commissioner, says in a statement. "This is the first state study comparing traffic injury rates for children before and after implementation of New York's booster seat law."
The state of New York required the use of booster seats or other child restraint systems for children 4-6 years old when riding in motor vehicles.
Kainan Sun, Michael Bauer and Susan Hardman of the department of health bureau of injury prevention compared the traffic injury rate for booster-seat age children before and after the law was enacted in March 2005.
The study, published online ahead of print in the September issue of the journal Pediatrics, says the decrease in child injuries was primarily attributed to a 72 percent increase in the use of child restraints caused by the new law.
"One of the most important actions a parent can take when transporting a child in a motor vehicle is buckling them properly into a car seat or booster seat that is appropriate for their child's age and weight," Daines says.
ALBANY, N.Y., The injury rate for children ages 4-6 in motor vehicle crashes dropped by 18 percent after New York state began requiring booster seats in 2005, officials say.
"Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children in this age group," Dr. Richard F. Daines, state health commissioner, says in a statement. "This is the first state study comparing traffic injury rates for children before and after implementation of New York's booster seat law."
The state of New York required the use of booster seats or other child restraint systems for children 4-6 years old when riding in motor vehicles.
Kainan Sun, Michael Bauer and Susan Hardman of the department of health bureau of injury prevention compared the traffic injury rate for booster-seat age children before and after the law was enacted in March 2005.
The study, published online ahead of print in the September issue of the journal Pediatrics, says the decrease in child injuries was primarily attributed to a 72 percent increase in the use of child restraints caused by the new law.
"One of the most important actions a parent can take when transporting a child in a motor vehicle is buckling them properly into a car seat or booster seat that is appropriate for their child's age and weight," Daines says.