Citation

Kawato H. J. Jpn. Counc. Traffic Sci. 2018; 17(2): 3-7.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, The Japanese Council of Traffic Science)

DOI

10.24597/jcts.17.2_3

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Japan is recognized as a country that has advanced pediatric care standards. It has the lowest infant mortality rate in the modern world due to rapid improvements in the results of perinatal treatments. Japan's policies to prevent childhood accidents, however, are inadequate compared to those of various other foreign countries, and accidental death is the leading cause of childhood deaths. Many children are still injured in moter vehicle collision. Upon examining the number of fatalities in children aged 12 years and younger and by evaluating the situation in which the loss of life occurred, it can be seen that approximately half the pediatric casualties were pedestrians. Thus, the subject of updating policies to prevent pedestrian accidents is very important. Additionally, since 2000, infants aged 6 years or younger have been required to be strapped into child restraint system（CRS）when they are riding in a vehicle. However, even now, more than 15 years later, the percentage of children who are made to ride in CRS is low, and this percentage decreases as the child's age increases. Consequently, injuries have been observed resulting from the improper and inadequate use of CRS in vehicles. To quickly solve these types of problems, it is first necessary to have personnel who deal with children's public health to look out for the safety of children in familiar settings. As part of this plan to protect small children, it is also necessary for these people to promote awareness about the use of CRS and to educate and instruct the guardians of every child on the advantages of CRS.

Language: ja

Vernacular Abstract

わが国の小児医療は周産期医療の飛躍的な治療成績の向上により、近年世界で新生児死亡率が最も低い国として認識されている。一方で小児の事故予防対策に関しては、諸外国に比べて十分ではなく、死因の上位を不慮の事故が占め、まだなお交通事故で多くの児が負傷している。12歳以下の状態別死者数をみると、歩行者が約半数を占めるため、歩行者事故対策は重要な課題である。また、2000年より6歳未満の乳幼児に対して自動車乗車時のチャイルドシート着用が義務づけられている。15年以上経過している現在でもその着用率は低く、年齢が上がるにつれて着用率が下がっており、適正に使用されていないことによる傷害も散見されている。このような問題を早急に解決するためには、まず小児の保健衛生に関わる関係者が身近なところから児の安全を守る必要があり、その一環として乳幼児を守るためにシートベルトへの理解および保護者への装着指導・教育を推進する必要がある。

Keywords

accidental death; child restraint system; pedestrian; safety education; vehicle collision; チャイルドシート; 不慮の事故; 安全教育; 歩行者; 自動車衝突