Abstract
Abstract Introduction: Children unbuckling from their own carseats or restraints is a yet unexplored phenomenon that could pose a substantial safety risk. Therefore, we sought to better understand this phenomenon by surveying parents of young children. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study completed at a single academic institution in 2019. A self-administered survey was given to parents of children up to 6 years old who presented to the emergency department or primary care regarding their experience with their children unbuckling from their carseat. Results: We surveyed 211 parents of 355 children under 6 years old. Among our sample of children less than 6 years of age, 18% could unbuckle themselves from their child restraint and one in five of those (19%) while the vehicle is moving. Conclusion: Over half of children were reported to be under the age of 4 years at the time of first self-unbuckling. This information measures a potential child restraint safety issue that is a public health topic that needs to be addressed.
Highlights
Children unbuckling from their own carseats or restraints is a yet unexplored phenomenon that could pose a substantial safety risk
This study aimed to identify the age at which a child starts unbuckling, to describe how often and whether unbuckling occurred with the car moving or stopped and to gather information on parental techniques used to address this activity
Data were collected on 353 children 6 years of age and under from 211 surveys (85% response)
Summary
Children unbuckling from their own carseats or restraints is a yet unexplored phenomenon that could pose a substantial safety risk. The use of age-appropriate child restraints and seat belts has been effective in reducing morbidity and mortality in motor vehicle collisions [2,3]. Despite the marked reduction in mortality and morbidity when young children are buckled in a child restraint, certain barriers to their appropriate use remain. Lack of knowledge, and inconvenience are commonly cited [5,6]. These studies have highlighted important barriers that need to be addressed to increase the use of car seats, other safety risks, such as children’s high-risk activities, have not been addressed
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
