A proposed campaign to increase the use of restraint systems for young children who ride in cars.

In the United States, motor vehicle accidents are the number one killer of children under 5 years of age, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Repeated studies show that correct, consistent use of child restraint systems is a proven method of preventing many unnecessary deaths. Yet current data from NHTSA's National Accident Sampling Survey show that only 35 percent of infants under 1 year of age, and only 25 percent of toddlers between 1 and 4, are protected by child restraints when they ride in cars. The authors believe that an innovative public awareness campaign, based on a Presidential proclamation giving national priority to encouraging correct use of child restraint systems, would serve both to increase the public's knowledge of car safety issues and to increase the number of parents who provide restraint protection for their children. Our proposal is unique in that it is a multidimensional approach with its main focus on children under 5 as a target population. We advocate continued appeal to the adult consumer population but believe that long-term results will be more significant if children are addressed as well. The main emphasis of our proposal is on local community involvement, yet Federal acknowledgement of the problem of safety for small children in cars--and support of efforts to solve this problem--are necessary to reinforce the efforts of grassroots organizations.