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Editorials

Ensuring the safety of school age passengers

BMJ 2002; 324 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.324.7346.1108 (Published 11 May 2002) Cite this as: BMJ 2002;324:1108

Booster seats are necessary for optimal protection

  1. Angela D Mickalide (amickalide@safekids.org), programme director,
  2. Karen DiCapua, director, child passenger safety,
  3. Heather Paul, executive director
  1. National Safe Kids Campaign, 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington DC, USA

    Papers p 1123

    The article by Halman et al (p 1123) in this issue indicates that children of school age involved in motor vehicle crashes were less severely injured if they were wearing a seat belt, irrespective of the type of restraint or seating position in the motor vehicle.1 The authors report that school age children (4-14 years old) restrained with a seat belt were 2-10 times as safe as unbelted children and were at least as well protected as adults wearing seat belts. The findings, however, do not answer the question about whether the degree of protection afforded children by standard seat belts is sufficient, according to the authors' discussion of the limitations of the data. The national safe kids campaign in the United States and the child passenger safety community recommend that children be protected in an appropriate child restraint or booster seat rather than in a safety …

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