Abstract
• About a thousand Australian children are seriously injured in motor vehicle accidents each year, despite 92% using seatbelts or child restraints.
• Premature graduation of children to adult seatbelts, misuse of seatbelts and use of lap-only belts increase the risk of injury or death.
• In Australia, use of a child restraint or booster seat is not mandatory for children aged > 1 year, while other countries mandate their use for children up to 5-12 years old.
• Australian parents are confused about the safest restraint and seating position, particularly for children aged > 2 years.
• Australian child restraint legislation needs to be reviewed to increase the rate of optimal restraint use.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 635-638 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Medical Journal of Australia |
| Volume | 186 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| Publication status | Published - 18 Jun 2007 |
| Externally published | Yes |