Occupant Protection

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children of every age from 5 through 18 years old.

In 1998, there were a total of 41,471 traffic fatalities in the United States. Children 5 through 18 accounted for 14 percent (5,680) of those traffic fatalities.

Children ages 5 through 18 accounted for 31 percent (4,815) of all vehicle occupant fatalities, 20 percent (634,000) of all the people injured in motor vehicle crashes, and 19 percent (581,000) of all the vehicle occupants injured in crashes.

In the U. S., an average of 15.5 children ages 5 through 18 were killed and 1,737 were injured every day in motor vehicle crashes during 1998.

Child safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers in passenger cars.

In 1998, there were 575 occupant fatalities among children under 5 years of age. Of those 575 fatalities, an estimated 293 (51 percent) were totally unrestrained.

In 1998, an estimated 299 children under age 5 were saved as a result of child restraint (child safety seats or adult belts) use.

If 100 percent of motor vehicle occupants under 5 years old were protected by child safety seats, an estimated 472 lives (that is, an additional 173) could have been saved in 1998.

With so many child safety seats, seat belts, and vehicles on the market today, it can be very difficult to properly install a child safety seat. Parents should have their child safety seats inspected by a trained and certified child safety seat technician
in their community.

As of July 1, 2000, 97 children have been killed by passenger airbags. More than 18 percent of these deaths were among infants in rear-facing child safety seats in front of a passenger airbag. Almost 60 percent of all children killed by passenger airbags were either unrestrained or improperly restrained at the time of the crash.

For young drivers (ages 15 through 18) involved in fatal crashes, 43 percent were not using a seat belt; among those who were killed, 59 percent were not using a seat belt.

Lap/shoulder belts, when used, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent.