MARCH 2005 - Accident Reconstruction Newsletter

Facts About Children and Youth

Children and youth from birth to age 14 represented 21 percent of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2002 American Community Survey. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children 2 years of age, and for people of every age from 4 to 34 years old. Although the fatality rate has decreased, the total number of child occupant deaths is still high. This is due to population increases and a near doubling, over the past 20 years, of the number of miles Americans travel on our Nation’s highways.

Facts About Restraint Use

• In 2002, the use of child restraints saved an estimated 376 lives.
• Of the 459 occupant fatalities among children from birth through age 4 in 2002, nearly 40 percent were completely unrestrained.
• During 2002, a total of 1,785 children from birth through age 15 were killed in passenger vehicle crashes. Approximately 54 percent of passenger vehicle occupants in this age group were unrestrained. The breakdown by age group was as follows:
  • 40.4 percent of children from birth through age 4 were unrestrained.
  • 48.6 percent of children ages 5 through 9 were unrestrained.
  • 62.3 percent of children ages 10 through 15 were unrestrained.
• If 100 percent of motor vehicle occupants younger than age 5 had been protected by child safety seats, an estimated 485 lives (an additional 109 lives) could have been saved in 2002.
• From 1975 through 2002, an estimated 6,567 lives were saved by the use of child restraints (child safety seats or adult belts).

Chart 6 provides data on the use and nonuse of occupant restraints among occupants killed in passenger vehicle crashes in 2002. In most age groups (except the youngest and the oldest) a greater percentage 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 percentage of occupants in all age groups would not have been killed had they been properly restrained.

Chart 6 Occupant Fatalities in 2002
By Age and Restraint Use, In Passenger Vehicles

There is a significant decrease in restraint use among the 5-9, 10-15, and 16-20 age groups (when compared to the 0-4 age group). This decrease in restraint use 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, e.g., improper installation or use of a child safety seat, placing a child in an adult belt.
• Occupants in the youngest age group, 0-4 and oldest age groups, 65-74 and 75+, are more fragile. Therefore, they are more vulnerable to death or a serious injury when in a crash.
• In many States, there is no law requiring the use of an appropriate occupant restraint (booster seat) for children who have outgrown their child safety seat. As a result, many young children are inappropriately placed in adult belts.

Facts About Motor-Vehicle-Related Deaths and Injuries

Based on the 10-year period between 1993 and 2002, an average of 1,998 children from birth to 15 years of age died and 299,195 were injured in passenger vehicle crashes each year.

• In 2002, an average of 5 children from birth through age 15 were killed and 693 were injured every day in motor vehicle crashes.
• In 2002, a total of 1,785 children ages 15 and younger were killed and 253,000 were injured in passenger vehicle crashes. Eleven percent of the injured occupants had incapacitating injuries.
• In 2002, there were 459 passenger vehicle occupant fatalities and 59,000 occupants injured among children ages 4 and younger.
• In 2002, there were 1,326 passenger vehicle occupant fatalities and 195,000 occupants injured among children ages 5 through 15.

Chart 7 highlights facts about injury severity. In 2002, more than 80,000 children, youth, and young adults from birth to age 20 suffered incapacitating injuries in passenger vehicle crashes.

Chart 7 Occupants Killed or Injured In 2002
By Injury Severity, In Passenger Vehicles

	Injury Severity
Age Group	Killed	Incapa-citating*	Non- incapacitating	Possible Injury	Injury Severity Unknown	Total Injured	Total
0-4	459	6,588	15,552	35,602	783	58,525	58,984
5-9	400	7,038	21,087	42,822	758	71,705	72,105
10-15	926	12,569	34,745	74,536	1,062	122,912	123,838
16-20	5,625	56,053	149,645	266,200	4,167	476,065	481,690
21-24	3,676	35,973	89,255	166,995	3,302	295,525	299,201
25-44	9,888	99,504	227,077	595,110	7,912	929,603	939,491
45-64	6,300	57,286	118,747	343,343	3,711	523,087	529,387
65-74	2,140	13,343	32,042	65,376	391	111,152	113,292
75+	3,105	14,604	28,096	49,983	422	93,105	96,210
TOTAL	32,519	302,957	716,246	1,639,968	22,507	2,681,678	2,714,197

*An incapacitating injury is any injury, other than a fatal injury, that prevents the injured person from walking, driving, or normally continuing the activities the person was capable of performing before the injury occurred.

Inside This Issue

Front Page

Job Posting

The following five articles are in PDF format, you may need to provide time to download. Download free PDF Reader.

• PDF: Child Safety Seat Test Results 2004
• PDF: Child Safety Seat Test Results 2003
• PDF: Child Restraints Testing: Status Report
• PDF: Child Passenger Safety Laws
• PDF: Misuse of Child Restraints
• Children and Air Bags
• Replacement of Child Seats After A Collision
• Child Restraint Re-use After Minor Crashes (NHTSA's Position)
• Dictionary of Child Safety Seat Terms
• Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families 2005 (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• Facts About Children and Youth
• Persons Killed in Motor Vehicle Crashes, by State and Age Group (2002)
• ARC Network New Members
• Accident Reconstruction Education and Training Events - New events added every month.
• In The News
• Membership Information

Please direct any questions regarding this issue of the Accident Reconstruction Newsletter to
the ARC Network

© 2005 ARC Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
Any comments, questions or suggestions should be e-mailed to the ARC Network.

ARC NETWORK QUICK LINKS
Homepage | Contact Us | Guest Book | Advertising
AR News | Book Store | Corporate Directory | Discussion Forum | Education | Events Calendar | Expert Witness Directory | Membership
Newsletter | Organizations | Police Department Directory | Research Directory