Evaluation of the league general insurance company child safety seat distribution program

Abstract

This report presents an evaluation of the child safety seat distribution initiated by the League General Insurance Company in June 1979. The program provides child safety seats as a benefit under the company's auto insurance policies to policy-holders who have a child born or adopted into their households while a League General policy is in effect. The evaluation covers the first two years of program operations in Michigan. During this time more than 7,000 seats were distributed to 5,800 households. The evaluation contains results of analyzing claims for accidents in which children 0-4 years old were involved before and after the program was begun. It also includes results of a household survey that assembled behavioral and attitudinal information from 400 League General policyholders who had received seats and a control group of households from the general population. The evaluation shows reported safety seat use was high among League General seat recipients, injuries declined substantially and claims costs were greatly reduced. On a short-term basis, direct program costs exceed direct program savings. Long-term cost effectiveness remains to be determined.