Reformulated 2006 Goals

As mentioned previously, to accurately measure the progress made in increasing overall restraint use by 4- to 8-year-olds, while promoting booster seat use, the strategic plan contained the following reformulated, measurable goals to be achieved by 2006. An assessment of the progress made to date in meeting and/or exceeding each of the 2006 reformulated goals also appears below.

2006 Goal # 1: Increase Restraint Use (of Any Type) by 4- to 8-Year-Old Passenger Vehicle Occupants to 85 Percent (from 63 Percent in 1999)

Outcome: The 2002 National Occupant Protection Usage Survey found that 83 percent of 4- to 8-year-old passengers were riding restrained, nearly achieving the 2006 goal of 85 percent. At the same time, however, a variety of physical constraints prevented the observers from distinguishing whether these children were riding in booster seats or were using adult safety belts instead, a far less desirable practice.

As mentioned previously, however, the 2004 NOPUS survey found that only 73 percent of children 4 to 7 were restrained, down from 83 percent in 2002. NHTSA will craft programs and devote resources accordingly once the factors responsible for this development have been identified and analyzed appropriately. Ongoing programs led by or supported by NHTSA that should be helpful in reversing this unanticipated development are detailed later in this report.

2006 Goal # 2: Reduce the Percentage of Unrestrained 4- to 8-Year-Old Passenger Vehicle Occupant Fatalities to 39 percent (from 63 percent in 1999)

Outcome: From 2000 to 2003, the percentage of children 4 to 8 who died while traveling unrestrained in passenger vehicles dropped by 2 percentage points (from 51percent to 49 percent) -- from 187 to 163 child passengers (see table below). While this trend is clearly a positive one, much work remains to be done -- and is being undertaken by NHTSA, the States, and the many local and national partner organizations (see succeeding pages for details) -- to reduce these tragic incidents by an additional 10 percent to reach the goal of 39 percent by 2006.

Child Passenger Fatalities, By Restraint Use, Age 4 to 8, 2000-2003

2006 Goal # 3: Reduce the Number of Moderate to Severe Injuries per 100,000
4- to 8-Year-Old Passenger Vehicle Occupants to 1,050 (From 1,509 in 1999),
as Measured by the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS)
Crashworthiness Data System (CDS)

Outcome: The incidence of moderate to severe injuries among booster-aged child passengers has not yet shown demonstrable improvement despite concerted efforts by the States, NHTSA and the many national and local organizations allied in this effort. Hopefully, additional activities led or supported by NHTSA to increase overall restraint, increase the use of booster seats, and ensure the optimal positioning of children in rear-seating positions will positively impact the number of moderate to severe injuries suffered by older child passengers in the very near future.

2006 Goal # 4: Reduce the Number of Incapacitating Injuries per 100,000 4- to 8-Year-Old Passenger Vehicle Occupants to 5,700 (from 6,540 in 1999),
As Measured by the NASS System General Estimate System (GES)

Outcome: The number of incapacitating injuries befalling 4- to 8-year-old child passengers continued a steady decline to 4,930 such injuries in 2003, from the baseline of 6,540 children in 1999, meeting and exceeding the 2006 goal of 5,700 per 100,000. The agency is proud of this progress achieved with the involvement of so many partners and the States, but is far from complacent, given the scope of the remaining problem.