Protecting Children: A Guide to Child Traffic Safety Laws

摘要

Motor vehicle crashes cost $32.6 billion in medical care and $230.6 billion in overall expenses each year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), every American shares that burden at about $820 per person per year. Each state's economy is affected by the costs associated with motor vehicle crashes. The per capita crash costs for each state vary from roughly $600 to $1,200, or between 1.3 percent and 3.8 percent of the per capita income for each state. On average, crashes cause about 41,000 deaths each year and millions of non-fatal injuries. Most people believe that these fatalities and injuries happen by chance and cannot be prevented. However, most motor vehicle crashes are caused by behaviors that are predictable and preventable. Therefore, steps to improve traffic safety save both lives and tax dollars. One group most affected by traffic crashes is children. In fact, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of fatal unintentional injuries for children between the ages of 4 and 14. In 2001, 2,658 children under age 16 died in car crashes-slightly lower than the 2000 toll of 2,811 children. The rate has dropped by nearly 50 percent during the past 25 years. State legislators can take credit for this improvement. Whether by passing stronger child occupant protection laws, endorsing public education efforts or informing their constituents, state legislators play an important role in working toward improved child passenger safety. This book is intended to provide information to state legislators and other policymakers about child safety relating to motor vehicles, pedestrian and bicycling issues, school bus safety, child endangerment and teen driving.