title: Seatbelts and the law: how well do we protect Australian children?
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.
authors.affiliation: Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia. apsu@chw.edu.au
authors.forename: Katie N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Reeve
authors.forename: Yvonne A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Zurynski
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bilston
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality; D000293:Adolescent; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015370:Infant Equipment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D012449:Safety / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*