TRANSPORTING CHILDREN IN CARS AND THE USE OF CHILD SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEMS.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the transport of children in automobiles and the use of child restraints systems (CRS).


METHODS
This is a transversal descriptive study which included 200 vehicle drivers who carried 0-10 year old children in the city of São Luis, MA, Brazil. The drivers' passengers' and children's features were properly identified. The children's transportation using CRS were analyzed according to the Resolution 277/8 of the Brazilian National Traffic Department.


RESULTS
The transportation of children was classified as inappropriate in 70.5% of the vehicles analyzed. The most common way for children transportation was free on the back seats (47%) or on the lap of passengers/drivers (17%). The main reasons to justify the improper transportation were either not understanding the importance of CRS use (64.5%) or not having financial resources to buy the devices. The child safety seat was the most used CRS (50.8 %) among vehicles with proper child transportation system.


CONCLUSIONS
The transportation of children was inappropriate in most of the vehicles analyzed, reflecting the need for creating awareness among automobile drivers, including education, supervision and improvement of policies for health improvement and prevention of accidents involving children transportation. Level of Evidence III, Cross Sectional Study.
. Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil.
Allan Quadros
AQ
Garcês
. Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil.
Igor Bonifacio Andrade
IB
Coimbra
. Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil.
Diego Salvador Muniz DA
DS
Silva
Accidents; traffic. Child. Child restraint systems. Seat belts. Accident prevention.