Awareness and Availability of Child Passenger Safety Information Resources

NHTSA - Behavioral Safety Researchhttps://doi.org/10.21949/15259932020PDFTech ReportLevi, SharonLee, HyunshikRen, WeijiaPolson, A.McCloskey, ShawnWestat, Inc.United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Office of Behavioral Safety ResearchUnited States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Office of Behavioral Safety ResearchUnited StatesChild restraint systemsChild safety seatsInspection stationsSurveysNationally representative surveyChild Passenger SafetyDOT HS 813 035DTNH2215C00038Final Report; 9/29/2015 \u2013 10/28/2019Child restraint systems (CRSs) are an effective method to reduce the risk of child injury in motor vehicle crashes. Research indicates that hands-on instruction demonstrating the installation and use of CRSs is effective in reducing misuse of CRSs. Child passenger safety technicians (CPSTs) currently provide one-on-one instruction on the proper use and installation of CRSs at thousands of child car seat inspection stations nationwide. The primary objective of the Awareness and Availability of Child Passenger Safety Information Resources (AACPSIR) survey was to estimate the degree of awareness parents and caregivers have of CPST inspection stations. The researchers recruited a nationally representative sample of caregivers who drove children regularly. Key data analysis methods included descriptive analyses, cross-tabulation analyses, weighted linear regression or logistic regression analyses, and causality analysis to determine the effects of distance on the use of child car seat inspection stations. In addition, exploratory linked analysis to the National Survey of the Use of Booster Seats (NSUBS) data was conducted to examine the relationships among selected AACPSIR outcome variables and selected explanatory variables from the AACPSIR and NSUBS data. The study found that two-thirds of adults who drove children on a regular basis had heard of inspection stations (67%). Drivers who transport children frequently indicated they were confident their CRSs were installed correctly. However, the AACPSIR survey found that 19 percent of children were not riding in the correct CRS for their height and weight. There were higher rates of improper selection in the 2- to 3-year and the 8- to 9-year age groups than among other ages.129