Accident Reconstruction Network > News > October 2006

Accident Reconstruction News Article

Children Ages 4-8 More Likely to Be Injured in Vehicle Crashes
State Farm(R), Children's Hospital of Philadelphia(R) Release 2006 Child Passenger Safety Report

In fact, the report found that 46 percent of children ages 4-8 were improperly restrained in adult seat belts, making them three times more likely to be injured in a crash than younger infants and toddlers.

"There is a crucial step many parents are missing: Kids need to use a booster seat from around age 4 until they're 4'9"," said Kristy Arbogast, PhD., director of field engineering, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "As children get older, their risk of being injured in a crash increases, primarily because they're being moved from the protection of child seats with harnesses, directly into adult seat belts, and into the front seat. All children need to be seated in the back seat until age 13."

For children under the age of 8 years, following the guidelines for age- and size-appropriate restraint can reduce the risk of serious injury in a vehicle crash to less than 1 percent. State Farm and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia urge parents to be diligent when it comes to their children's safety - every ride, every time.

"PCPS Fact and Trend Report serves as a reminder that we need to continue taking steps to ensure all children are protected on the road," said Susan Hood, Claims Vice President for State Farm. "Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of children over the age of one, and many of these tragedies could have been prevented with the proper use of vehicle safety restraints."

Key Updates and Findings

The State Farm and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia PCPS Fact and Trend Report provides the most up-to-date data on children in vehicle crashes in the United States and identifies characteristics of crashes involving children. Top findings of the report include:

• Child restraint use - 1999 vs. 2005: Overall, Americans have significantly improved child restraint use among children over age eight from 51 percent in 1999 to 73 percent in 2005.

• Booster seat law success: The study found that states with comprehensive booster seat laws reported the most progress in increasing child restraint use through 8 years of age. The three states with the highest rate of booster seat use among 4-8 year olds have implemented child passenger safety laws that require all children under the age of eight to ride in a child safety seat or booster seat.

• Age of driver: Although only 7.4 percent of crashes involving children occur with teen drivers (ages 16-19), children driven by teens were 3.5 times more likely to be injured than those driven by people older than 20.

• Speed limits: Vehicle crashes with the highest number of significant injuries occur on roads with posted speed limits of 45-64 mph.

• Distance: The majority of crashes involving children occur within 10 minutes of home.

For more information on the risks to child passengers and how to properly restrain children in motor vehicles, please visit www.chop.edu/carseat and click on "In the News" for information relevant to the report; or visit www.statefarm.com/KidSafety.htm.

About the Partners for Child Passenger Safety Fact and Trend Report

The Fact and Trend Report was developed through an ongoing research collaboration between The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm. All data is provided by State Farm customers during confidential in-depth interviews from January 1999-December 2005. As of December 31, 2005, more than 455,000 State Farm customers, transporting 669,000 children, participated in the study. It is the largest source of data on children in motor vehicle crashes. In-depth analyses of these data has resulted in more than 50 scientific papers since 2000, informing public policy and automotive restraint design to improve safety of child passengers.

About State Farm

State Farm® insures more cars than any other insurer in North America and is the leading U.S. home insurer. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 68,000 employees serve over 74 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 1.8 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No.22 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca(TM).

About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric health care professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 430-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit www.chop.edu.

Contact:
State Farm Insurance Companies
Xochitl Yanez, 309-766-0625
xochitl.yanez.swtw@statefarm.com
or
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Dana Mortensen, 267-426-6092
mortensen@email.chop.edu
or
GolinHarris
Jennifer Barone, 312-729-4248
jbarone@golinharris.com

Source: State Farm

###

Back to Accident Reconstruction News