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Child restraint misuse: Do parents properly install car seats?

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Title: Child restraint misuse: Do parents properly install car seats?
Authors: Schwebel, David C.1 (AUTHOR) david-schwebel@uiowa.edu, MacKay, Morag2 (AUTHOR), Beasley, T. Mark3 (AUTHOR), Johnston, Anna1 (AUTHOR), Koldoff, Elizabeth4 (AUTHOR), Beckworth, Kristen5 (AUTHOR), Rivera, Sanny5 (AUTHOR), Williams, Janice6 (AUTHOR), Crew, Marie7 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Safety Research. Dec2025, Vol. 95, p220-225. 6p.
Subjects: Child restraint systems in automobiles, Mismanagement, Traffic accidents, Automobile seats, Public health, Safety, Children's injuries
Geographic Terms: United States
Abstract: • 1477 individuals who drove vehicles with child restraints (car seats) participated at 7 US sites. • Overall, 85.25 % of restraint installation/use components were correct. • Just 11.9 % of all restraints were installed and used entirely correctly. • Continued multifaceted efforts are advised to reduce child restraint misuse. Background: Child restraints (car seats) reduce risk of pediatric injury in motor-vehicle crashes, but restraint misuse is widely documented, with estimates from the 2000s and 2010s suggesting 70–95 % of child restraints are installed or used incorrectly. This study had two primary objectives: (a) present recent data concerning child restraint misuse from a large, national sample in the United States; and (b) explore the types of misuse that are most common, including across different types of installations. Methods: As part of a larger study, 1,477 individuals who drove vehicles with installed child restraints participated at seven U.S. sites. Booster seats were excluded. Upon arrival for an initial research appointment, restraint installation was assessed by certified technicians using a standardized checklist that yielded an overall score of the percentage of correct components, as well as individual binary scores (correct vs. incorrect) for each checklist component and an overall binary score (100 % correct or not) for the entire installation. Results: Overall, 85.25 % (SD = 11.91) of restraint installation/use components were correct; that percentage was highest for rear-facing, LATCH or lower-anchor installations (89.07 %, SD = 8.57) and lowest for forward-facing seatbelt installations (M = 76.50 %, SD = 13.59). Just 11.9 % of all restraints were installed and used entirely correctly. Inspection of individual installation/use components indicated most items were correct 95–100 % of the time. However, some items had poorer scores, and a handful were correct less than half the time for some installation types. Discussion: Replicating findings from years past, few child restraints were installed and used completely correctly. However, a large portion of the installation/use components were correct, and thus children riding in the restraints were considerably safer than if unrestrained. Continued multifaceted efforts to reduce child restraint misuse are advised. These efforts should be shared by vehicle and restraint manufacturers, public health professionals, government and non-profit agencies, and parents themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Engineering Source
Description
Abstract:• 1477 individuals who drove vehicles with child restraints (car seats) participated at 7 US sites. • Overall, 85.25 % of restraint installation/use components were correct. • Just 11.9 % of all restraints were installed and used entirely correctly. • Continued multifaceted efforts are advised to reduce child restraint misuse. Background: Child restraints (car seats) reduce risk of pediatric injury in motor-vehicle crashes, but restraint misuse is widely documented, with estimates from the 2000s and 2010s suggesting 70–95 % of child restraints are installed or used incorrectly. This study had two primary objectives: (a) present recent data concerning child restraint misuse from a large, national sample in the United States; and (b) explore the types of misuse that are most common, including across different types of installations. Methods: As part of a larger study, 1,477 individuals who drove vehicles with installed child restraints participated at seven U.S. sites. Booster seats were excluded. Upon arrival for an initial research appointment, restraint installation was assessed by certified technicians using a standardized checklist that yielded an overall score of the percentage of correct components, as well as individual binary scores (correct vs. incorrect) for each checklist component and an overall binary score (100 % correct or not) for the entire installation. Results: Overall, 85.25 % (SD = 11.91) of restraint installation/use components were correct; that percentage was highest for rear-facing, LATCH or lower-anchor installations (89.07 %, SD = 8.57) and lowest for forward-facing seatbelt installations (M = 76.50 %, SD = 13.59). Just 11.9 % of all restraints were installed and used entirely correctly. Inspection of individual installation/use components indicated most items were correct 95–100 % of the time. However, some items had poorer scores, and a handful were correct less than half the time for some installation types. Discussion: Replicating findings from years past, few child restraints were installed and used completely correctly. However, a large portion of the installation/use components were correct, and thus children riding in the restraints were considerably safer than if unrestrained. Continued multifaceted efforts to reduce child restraint misuse are advised. These efforts should be shared by vehicle and restraint manufacturers, public health professionals, government and non-profit agencies, and parents themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:00224375
DOI:10.1016/j.jsr.2025.10.004