"Young children are required to use child safety seats, and the age threshold at which
children can legally graduate to seat belts has steadily increased. This paper tests the
relative effectiveness of child safety seats, lap-and-shoulder seat belts, and lap belts in
preventing injuries among motor vehicle passengers aged 2-6. We analyze three large,
representative samples of crashes reported to police, as well as linked hospital data. We
find no apparent difference in the two most serious injury categories for children in child
safety seats versus lap-and-shoulder belts. Child safety seats provide a statistically
significant 25% reduction in the least serious injury category. Lap belts are somewhat
less effective than the two other types of restraints, but far superior to riding unrestrained."
MoronFive6 karma
What are your thoughts on the Doyle/Levitt research on car seats (http://pricetheory.uchicago.edu/levitt/Papers/doyle-levitt%20car%20seat%20injuries.pdf)?
ABSTRACT
"Young children are required to use child safety seats, and the age threshold at which children can legally graduate to seat belts has steadily increased. This paper tests the relative effectiveness of child safety seats, lap-and-shoulder seat belts, and lap belts in preventing injuries among motor vehicle passengers aged 2-6. We analyze three large, representative samples of crashes reported to police, as well as linked hospital data. We find no apparent difference in the two most serious injury categories for children in child safety seats versus lap-and-shoulder belts. Child safety seats provide a statistically significant 25% reduction in the least serious injury category. Lap belts are somewhat less effective than the two other types of restraints, but far superior to riding unrestrained."
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