Injury Analysis of Child Passenger According to the Types of Safety Restraint Systems in Motor Vehicle Crashes

Abstract

Purpose: To compare injury sustained and severity of child occupant according to the types of safety restraint systems in motor vehicle crashes.Methods: This was a retrospective observational study. The study subjects were child occupants under the age of 8 years who visited a local emergency center following a motor vehicle crash from 2010 to 2014. According to safety restraint: child restraint systems (CRS), belted, and unbelted, we compared injuries sustained and injury severity using the maximal Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAIS) and Injury Severity Score (ISS), and analyzed the characteristics of severe injuries (AIS2+).Results: Among 241 subjects, 9.1% were restrained in CRS, 14.5% were only belted, and 76.3% was unbelted at the time of the crashes. Fourteen had severe injuries (AIS2+), all of whom didn' t be restrained by CRS. Injuries in face and neck were the highest in unbelted group, and MAIS and ISS were the lowest in CRS group.Conclusion: Among safety restraint systems for child occupant in motor vehicle crashes, the CRS have the preventive effect of face and neck injuries, and are the most effective safety restraint systems. [ J Trauma Inj 2015; 28: 98-103 ]

Current use of safety restraint systems and front seats in Korean children based on the 2008–2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

“…In a study that compared traffic accident injuries according to the use of safety restraints in children under 8 years of age in South Korea, the rates of head, facial, neck, and abdominal injuries were higher among children who only wore seatbelts compared to those among children seated in a car seat [5]. This is attributable to the fact that seatbelts are designed to protect an adult’s body by strapping their thighs and chest but pass over the abdomen and neck in children because of their smaller bodies.…”

“…According to a 2017 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report, the rate of child safety-restraint-system use in advanced countries, including the United States and European nations, exceeds 90%, compared with 64.2% Japan [4]. In South Korea, the rate is significantly lower, at about 9.1%–40.4%, based on data from injured patients admitted to an emergency department [5,6]. Although the use of safety seat restraints for children aged 6 years or younger became mandatory in South Korea in 2006, the use rate is still low, primarily due to the inexpensive violation fine (60,000 Korean Won [KRW]) and low enforcement rates.…”