CHILD CASUALTIES BEFORE AND AFTER ENACTMENT OF CHILD RESTRAINT SEATS (CRS) LEGISLATION IN JAPAN

Abstract

Road Traffic Law Article 17-3-4 of April 2000 specifies the compulsory requirement for child safety seats in Japan. The objectives of this preliminary evaluation were to measure the effectiveness, benefits and usage of safety seats for child passengers aged 0–5 years by analyzing the child casualty data for the period of 1991–2002. Two statistical methods were used to quantify time trends (interrupted time series analysis, population based casualty rates estimations) of changes in child casualty incidence after implementation of compulsory child restraint seats law. Despite overall increases in the use of child restraint seats (as observed by different national surveys), casualties (fatalities and injuries) among restrained children have increased. Given that exposure to crash environments is increasing, traffic safety advocates need to be aware of the importance of child restraints as a means of reducing the likelihood of injury. It is necessary to implement an extensive community-based child safety seat campaign to disseminate the information on appropriate restraint use. Further prevention of motor vehicle occupant injuries to children will require the combined approaches of education, incentives for safe human behavior, legislation/enforcement, and environmental changes.