Non-fatal and fatal crash injury risk for children in minivans compared with children in sport utility vehicles.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the fatal and non-fatal crash injury risk for children in minivans compared with midsize and large sport utility vehicles (SUVs).


METHODS
Three large population-based sources of US crash data were used--a nationwide cohort of sampled police-reported crashes (NASS-CDS) along with a census of fatal crashes (FARS), plus a large child crash surveillance system, Partners for Child Passenger Safety (PCPS)--collected in 16 states via insurance claim records and validated telephone survey. Each included: 2000-2006 data, occupants aged 0-15 years, traveling in minivan or (midsize/large) SUV, model year 1998-2007. Outcome of interest was parent/driver report of non-fatal injury (Abbreviated Injury Scale scores of 2 or higher) in PCPS and fatal injury in NASS-CDS/FARS.


RESULTS
Compared with children riding in SUVs, those in minivans experienced a similar crude reduction in the relative risk of non-fatal injury (PCPS: unadjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.55) and fatality (NASS-CDS/FARS cohort: unadjusted OR = 0.58). In PCPS, this reduction in injury risk changed little after adjustment for child, driver, and vehicle factors (adjusted OR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.82). Lower fatality risk in the NASS-CDS/FARS cohort was partially explained by the same factors (adjusted OR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.51 to 1.13).


CONCLUSIONS
There may be important safety differences in vehicles during a crash that lead to fewer non-fatal injuries to child occupants of minivans compared with SUVs.
Kallan
M J
MJ
Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. mkallan@mail.med.upenn.edu
Arbogast
K B
KB
Elliott
M R
MR
Durbin
D R
DR
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001336:Automobiles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015370:Infant Equipment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*