Citation

Purc-Stephenson RJ, Ren J, Snowdon AW. Int. J. Inj. Control Safe. Promot. 2010; 17(4): 231-238.

Affiliation

Department of Social Sciences, University of Alberta, Augustana Campus, Camrose, Alberta, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/17457300.2010.487155

PMID

20521194

Abstract

As the number of vehicles in China rapidly increases and there is no child safety seat law, the issue of road safety for children is a growing concern. The purpose of this study was to examine parents' use and knowledge of car safety seats in Beijing, China. Using a convenience sample of 843 parents, survey results showed that only 64.8% of parents used a safety restraint for their children; the remaining 35.2% of children, of which most were toddlers or school-aged children, travelled unrestrained in vehicles. Among parents who used a safety restraint, only 24.2% were using it correctly based on the child's age (for infants), weight and height. Common reasons for not using a safety seat included difficulty finding safety seats (56.6%), cost (26.1%), and a preference to hold the child (18.1%). Moreover, a large proportion of parents prematurely transitioned their child from a safety seat to seat belt. The results highlight the need to develop injury prevention interventions that communicate the benefits and encourage the use of child safety restraints in China.

Language: en