Urban and Rural Child Deaths from Motor Vehicle Crashes: United States, 2015-2019

Details

• Alternative Title:
  J Pediatr
• Personal Author:
  Shaw, Kate M. ; West, Bethany ; Kendi, Sadiqa ; Zonfrillo, Mark R. ; Sauber-Schatz, Erin
• Description:
  Objective
  
  The objective of the study was to examine child deaths in motor vehicle crashes by rurality, restraint use, and state child passenger restraint laws.
  
  Study design
  
  2015-2019 Fatality Analysis Reporting System data were analyzed to determine deaths and rates by passenger and crash characteristics. Optimal restraint use was defined using age and the type of the restraint according to child passenger safety recommendations.
  
  Results
  
  Death rates per 100 000 population were highest for non-Hispanic Black (1.96; [1.84, 2.07]) and American Indian or Alaska Native children (2.67; [2.14, 3.20]) and lowest for Asian or Pacific Islander children (0.57; [0.47, 0.67]). Death rates increased with rurality with the lowest rate (0.88; [0.84, 0.92]) in the most urban counties and the highest rate (4.47; [3.88, 5.06]) in the most rural counties. Children who were not optimally restrained had higher deaths rates than optimally restrained children (0.84; [0.81, 0.87] vs 0.44; [0.42, 0.46], respectively). The death rate was higher in counties where states only required child passenger restraint use for passengers aged ≤6 years (1.64; [1.50, 1.78]) than that in those requiring child passenger restraint use for passengers aged ≤7 or ≤8 years (1.06; [1.01, 1.12]).
  
  Conclusions
  
  Proper restraint use and extending the ages covered by child passenger restraint laws reduce the risk for child crash deaths. Additionally, racial and geographic disparities in crash deaths were identified, especially among Black and Hispanic children in rural areas. Decision makers can consider extending the ages covered by child passenger restraint laws until at least age 9 to increase proper child restraint use and reduce crash injuries and deaths. (J. Pediatr 2022;250:93-9).
  
  
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Traffic Child Family Humans Infant Motor Vehicles Racial Groups Rural Population United States
• Source:
  J Pediatr. 250:93-99
• Pubmed ID:
  35809653
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC11428121
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  CC999999/ImCDC/Intramural CDC HHSUnited States/
• Volume:
  250
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:79f32b402f4b70b4bb3f14084ae817f5661d92bd898cb5a643ccf8c6eb4ef05504fcd3bafc892ed09ae497b6f6cc1094211c59b2e35d52ba5292da8b471172fb
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/164033/cdc_164033_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 445.43 KB ]