Washington, D.C. - Results of a new national public opinion survey show that parents report placing an estimated 3.3 million children ages 0-12 - six percent of all children in this age group - in the front seat, putting them at greater risk of serious injury or death. The survey also found that lower-income and less educated Hispanic and African American families are more likely to place children in the front seat.
The survey was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, Inc. for the National Safety Council's Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign. The Campaign, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) strongly recommend that children 12 and under ride properly restrained in rear seats. That includes infants in rear-facing seats, children in convertible seats, children in booster seats, and children restrained by seat belts. Research has found that rear seats are up to 35 percent safer.
"The back seat is a much safer place for children than the front seat, and we have been working for years to get that message out," said NTSB Chairman Ellen Engleman Conners. "Clearly there is more work to do to make sure parents have the message and act on that message-children are safer in a rear seat."
A recent study by the Campaign found that the lives of more than 1,700 children have been saved between 1996 and 2001 solely because they were sitting in a rear seat. Even with this progress, a new Campaign analysis of government fatality data shows that 324 children died in the front seat in 2002 alone.
The survey findings are based on self-reported behavior-what parents themselves say they are doing. Observational data released by NHTSA in February 2003 indicate the situation is even worse. According to NHTSA, parents are putting 15 percent of infants, 10 percent of toddlers ages 1-3, and 29 percent of children ages 4-7 in the front seat.
The analysis of fatality data also found that over a ten-year period, front seat fatalities for children ages 12 and under have declined by 36 percent. But the analysis also showed that an alarming number of children are still being placed in the front seat since 32 percent of all child fatalities were among children riding in front.
"These findings are an alarm bell that parents still haven't heard the critical safety message, "old air bag, new air bag, no air bag, kids are safer in a rear seat properly restrained." said Chuck Hurley, Executive Director of the Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign of the National Safety Council. "It is particularly important that this message get out to lower-income families of all races whose self-reported behavior places their babies at much greater risk."
The survey showed that on average six percent of all children ages 0-12 are being placed in the front seat according to their parents. Seven percent of all infants 0-1 are being placed in the front seat, while for Hispanic and African American infants the number is almost double at 13 percent.
The survey also found that parents with lower income and education levels were more likely to place their children in the front seat.
To help spread the "Kids in Back" message to these at risk groups, the Campaign announced a partnership with the National WIC Association, which coordinates health and wellness programs under the Federally administered Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). About 47 percent of all babies born in the United States participate in WIC. Of all eligible women, infants, and children, the program is estimated to serve about 90 percent.
The Campaign's stepped up efforts will include developing new safety and educational materials that will be distributed to WIC's vast constituencies reaching the most at-risk populations in English and Spanish.
"WIC has an extraordinary 29 year record of preventing children's health problems and improving their health, growth and development," said Rev. Douglas Greenaway, executive director of the National WIC Association. "Getting kids safely buckled up in a rear seat is an important message we want to help promote."
The movement of children to the rear seat has been credited with helping to dramatically reduce the number of child air bag deaths and child deaths overall. Since 1996, the rate of child air bag deaths has declined a remarkable 94 percent despite more than five times the number of passenger air bag equipped vehicles on the road. Even more children have benefited from the additional margin of safety in the rear seat in the majority of crashes.
"Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death of American children ages 4-15 years," said NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey W. Runge, M.D. "Children ages 12 and under are 26 to 35 percent less likely to be fatally injured in a crash if they are in the back seat."
Hurley says the situation is even worse for booster age children (ages 4-8) because they are "not only at risk from being placed in the front seat, but are at risk because they're not using booster seats at all. According to NHTSA, 80 to 90 percent children who should be restrained in booster seats are not. Booster seats reduce injury risk by 59 percent - seat belts alone are inappropriate for children under 4'9" because the belts are designed for adults and do not fit children properly.
The Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign, a program of the National Safety Council, is a public/private partnership of automotive manufacturers, insurance companies, child safety seat manufacturers, government agencies, health professionals and child health and safety organizations. The goal of the Campaign is to increase the proper use of safety belts and child safety seats and to inform the public about how to maximize the lifesaving capabilities of air bags while minimizing the risks. For more information visit www.nsc.org
For Immediate Release, February 11, 2004
Media Contact: National Safety Council 630-775-2307 media@nsc.org
