Survival Strategies
NHTSA Recommendations

Safety belts are the most effective safety device in motor vehicles, and their increasing use has saved more than 164,750 lives since 1975. Safety belt use reached an all-time high of 79% in 2003. A 2001 report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) concluded that safety belts are 45% to 60% effective in reducing deaths and 50-65% effective in reducing moderate to critical injuries.

Similarly, growing use of child safety seats has dramatically reduced child deaths on the road. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study found that approximately 62% of children weighing less than 80 pounds were restrained in a child safety seat and 26% were restrained in a safety belt. Still, despite the progress, nearly 12% of children were unrestrained. The CDC reports that child safety seats are 55% to 70% effective in preventing deaths.

Failure to use safety belts and improper use of child restraints remain a major contributor to traffic injuries and fatalities. Studies report that between 73% and 75% of child restraints are improperly installed or used, and 83% of children between the ages of 4 and 8 are inappropriately restrained in adult seat belts rather than child safety seats. That’s a serious problem because children ages 4-8 are four times more likely to suffer a serious head injury while restrained in a seat belt rather than a booster seat. In fact, more than 90% of children ages 4-8 who were seriously injured were not in a booster seat. (Partners for Child Passenger Safety, 1998-2000)

One in three children killed in motor vehicle crashes were riding in the front seat. Riding in the back seat reduces injuries by 46% in cars with front passenger seat airbags and 30% in cars with no front airbags. (CDC, Child Passenger Safety Facts, 2004)

Proper restraint use among children is strongly related to their parents’ habits regarding buckling up. One study found almost 40% of children riding with unbelted drivers were themselves unrestrained. Another study reported that 92% of children transported by belted drivers were restrained in either a child safety seat or safety belt, compared to 62% of children transported by unbelted drivers. Unrestrained children are three times more likely to suffer a serious injury, most commonly head injuries, compared to restrained children.

Failure to buckle up also plays a significant role in teen driving deaths and is related to alcohol consumption: Teens who have been drinking are less likely to wear a safety belt. In 2002, nearly a third of young drivers (15-20 years old) killed in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking and 77% of those were unrestrained. (MADD, 2003)

Survival Strategies

Child restraint requirements and recommendations

All 50 states and the District of Columbia have child restraint laws. Child restraint and seat belt laws require children to travel in approved child safety and booster seats, and require older children to use adult safety belts. The age at which children may use safety belts rather than child safety seats in governed by state law.

NHTSA recommendations