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Child Safety
•Problem: Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of serious injury and death among Canadian children
•Solution: Risk of serious injury or death is significantly reduced when children travel in a restraining device that is size- and age-appropriate
Booster Seats
•Problem: Children older than 4 years of age are often:– prematurely moved into adult seat belts– susceptible to serious life-threatening
injuries caused by seat belts during motor vehicle collisions – “seat belt syndrome”
•Solution: Booster seats use is an effective injury prevention strategy for children 4 to 7 years of age
Ontario’s Booster Seat Law
•Objective: To enhance the safety of children and youth on Ontario’s roads
•Regulations: A child must be properly restrained in a booster seat when riding in a motor vehicle until 1 of the following 3 criteria is exceeded:– child weighs more than 36 kg (80 pounds)– child is taller than 145 cm (4’9”)– child is 8 years of age
•Implemented: September 1, 2005
Objectives
•Overall objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of Ontario’s booster seat law
•Specific objective: To provide a comparison over time regarding the % of children 4 to 7 years of age who are reported to use a booster seat in Ontario
•Past research: Parents rely on laws as guidelines on how to properly restrain their children
Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance System
•RRFSS is a telephone survey:– gather surveillance data – monitor public opinion on public health
issues– collect data on emerging issues
important to public health in Ontario
•Participants: Over 20 health units in Ontario
•Website: www.rrfss.ca
Measurement
•Survey question: Which of the following best describes how your child usually travels in a car or other vehicle: – with no seat belt and not in a car seat – with a seat belt only – with a booster seat and seat belt – in a car seat with harness straps
Sample
•Population: Parent/caregiver of a child 4 to 7 years of age
•Sampling: Randomly selected from a list of households with a telephone
•Time: January 2005 to December 2007 (monthly)
Change in Booster Seat Usage
55.3%69.7%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Pre Post
Change in Usage by Age
54.8% 73.0%
59.5% 37.5%50.0% 72.1%
81.1% 77.6%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Age 4 Age 5 Age 6 Age 7
Pre Post
Change in Usage by Time
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Jan-April2005
May-Aug2005
Sept-Dec2005
Jan-June2006
July-Dec2006
Jan-June2007
June-Dec2007
Age 4 Age 5 Age 6 Age 7
Change by Type of Restraint
50.0%
54.8%
48.6%
38.7%6.5%
1.4%Post (Age 4)
Pre (Age 4)
72.1%
73.0%
4.5% 23.4%
16.3%10.6%
Post (Age 5)
Pre (Age 5)
Booster seat Seat belt Car seat
Change by Type of Restraint
81.1%
59.5% 28.2%
14.2%
12.3%
4.7%Post (Age 6 )
Pre (Age 6)
77.6%
37.5%
16.2%
59.0%
6.2%
3.5%
Post (Age 7 )
Pre (Age 7)
Booster seat Seat belt Car seat
Conclusions
•Overall increase in booster seat use after September 1, 2005
•Increase in booster seat usage is related to child’s age: – only among 6 and 7 year olds
•Significant proportion of 4 to 7 year olds are still not using booster seats: – prolonged car sear usage among 4-6
year olds– premature graduation to sit belts among
7 year olds
Implications
•Need to improve community awareness regarding the health risks of not using booster seats among 4 to 7 year olds
•Booster seat campaigns should clearly state weight, height, and age requirements
Thank You!
