Facts About Children and Youth

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for the age group 4 through 15.¹⁰ Fatality rates had been declining for children, but in 2004 they increased by 3.2 percent for children 3 and under and by 2.7 percent for 4- to 7-year-olds. Fatality rates for children 8 to 15 years old showed no improvement from the previous year.

Facts About Restraint Use

In 2004, the use of child restraints saved the lives of an estimated 451 children age 4 and under.

During 2004, a total of 1,859 children from birth to age 15 were killed in passenger vehicle crashes. About 53 percent of passenger vehicle occupants in this age group were unrestrained. The breakdown by age group is:

• 36 percent of children from birth to 4 were unrestrained;
• 52 percent of children 5 to 9 were unrestrained; and
• 63 percent of children 10 to 15 were unrestrained.

At 100 percent child safety seat use for children under 5 years old, an estimated 566 lives could have been saved (that’s an additional 114 than were already saved).

From 1975 through 2004, an estimated 7,472 lives of children age 4 and under were saved by the use of occupant restraints (this includes child safety seats and safety belts).

Chart 6 shows data on the use and nonuse of occupant restraints among those killed in passenger vehicle crashes in 2004. In most age groups except the youngest (4 and under) and the oldest (65 and older) the majority of occupants who were killed were not restrained. Unfortunately, being properly restrained cannot prevent all passengers from being fatally injured, especially in certain high-impact crashes. However, a certain and higher percentage of occupants in all age groups would not have been killed had they been properly restrained.

There is a significant decrease in restraint use among the 5-to-9, 10-to-15, and 16-to-20 age groups (when compared to the 4 and under age group). This decrease illustrates the critical need for public information and education about the importance of restraint use, along with the need for ongoing enforcement of existing laws.

When viewing the chart, keep in mind that even with the use of occupant restraints:

• Some crashes are so severe that occupants do not survive even when properly protected by a child safety seat, booster seat, or safety belt.
  
  
• There are instances in which the effectiveness of a child restraint or safety belt is compromised by incorrect use, such as improper installation or use of a child safety seat, or placing a child in an adult belt.
  
  
• Occupants in the youngest age group, 4 and under, and oldest age group, 65 and older, are more fragile. Therefore, they are more vulnerable to death or serious injury during a crash.
  
  
• In many States, there is no law requiring the use of appropri-ate occupant restraints (booster seats) for children who have outgrown their child safety seats but who do not yet fit properly in adult belt systems. As a result, many young children are inappropriately placed in adult belts.

In addition to nonuse of child restraints, there continues to be high levels of misuse of child restraint systems (CRSs), which can also cause serious injuries or death in a crash. In a recent study conducted by NHTSA, approximately 73 percent of observed CRSs displayed one or more critical misuses. The most common were loose vehicle safety belt attachment to the CRS and loose harness straps securing the child to the CRS.¹¹

Chart 6 Occupant Fatalities in 2004
By Age and Restraint Use, in Passenger Vehicles

Facts About Motor-Vehicle-Related Deaths and Injuries

• Based on the 10-year period between 1995 and 2004, an average of 1,958 children from birth to age 15 died and 286,419 were injured in passenger vehicle crashes each year.
  
  
• In 2004, an average of 5 children from birth to 15 were killed and 646 were injured every day in motor vehicle crashes.
  
  
• In 2004, a total of 1,859 children 15 and younger were killed and 235,912 were injured in passenger vehicle crashes. Almost 9 percent of the injured occupants had incapacitating injuries.
  
  
• In 2004, there were 495 crash fatalities and 56,354 injured among children 4 and under.
  
  
• In 2004, there were 418 crash fatalities and 65,860 occupants injured among children 5 to 9.
  
  
• In 2004, there were 946 crash fatalities and 113,698 occupants injured among children 10 to 15.

Chart 7 highlights facts about injury severity. In 2004, more than 67,000 children, youth, and young adults from birth to 20 suffered incapacitating injuries in passenger vehicle crashes.

Chart 7 Occupants Injured in Passenger Vehicles 2004
By Age and Injury Severity

Note: Totals may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding.

¹⁰ Traffic Safety Facts 2004 Data-Children. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT HS 809 906.

¹¹ Traffic Safety Facts Research Note. Misuse of Child Restraints: Results of a Workshop to Review Field Data Results. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT HS 809 851, March 2005.