Compulsory child restraint seat law and motor vehicle child occupant deaths and injuries in Japan 1994-2005.
The purpose of child restraint seats (CRS) is to reduce the number of individuals killed or injured in motor vehicle (MV) crashes. Japanese Road Traffic Law 17-3-4 (April 2000) specifies a requirement that CRS be used for all children aged 0-5 years. The objective of this evaluation was to determine the legislative impact on fatalities in Japan for the period 1994-2005. Data were obtained from the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis. A time-series Poisson regression model was used to analyse the change (6 years pre/post) in incidence rate ratios of fatality and injury in MV crashes among children ages 0-5 years. Despite increases in CRS use, fatalities failed to decrease significantly after enactment of the law (incidence rate ratio: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.49-1.31). In 2005, 67% of children aged 0-5 years, who were killed as MV occupants were not seated in CRS. Between 2000 and 2005, the lack of CRS led to 43% of front seat passenger deaths, 54% of rear seat deaths, 143 children died in total and 500 + children were seriously injured. It was found that the compulsory CRS law enacted in April 2000 did not result in a statistically significant reduction in child MV occupant fatalities and injuries in Japan.
Desapriya
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E
Department of Pediatrics, Faculties of Medicine and Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. edesap@cw.bc.ca
Fujiwara
T
T
Scime
G
G
Babul
S
S
Pike
I
I
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015370:Infant Equipment; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*