Objectives:

To evaluate child safety with respect to age, size in different impact situations and to identify optimal restraints and potential areas for improvement.

Methodology:

Analysis of car crashes from Volvo's statistical accident database between 1987 and 2004 involving 3,670 children, aged 0-15 years.

Key Findings:

• During the past 40 years, different child restraint systems have been developed to improve protection for children of different sizes and ages.

• The development of more effective child restraints, and increased use of restraints, in addition to enhanced vehicle safety, has increased child safety.

• The injury-reducing effect of the child restraint systems was high overall.

• The highest injury-reducing effect was found in rearward facing child restraints for children up to 3-4 years of age, offering an injury-reducing effect of 90% compared to an unrestrained child.

• Belt positioning boosters from 4 to 10 years of age were found to have an injury reducing effect of 77%.

• Compared to adults, children have a generally lower AIS 2+ injury rate, except for abdominal and lower-extremity injuries.

• Abdominal injuries are mainly found in children using only a seat belt, emphasising the need for belt-positioning boosters.

• A tendency of higher injury risk was found when the growing child switches from one restraint to another, i.e. when the child is at the youngest age approved for the restraint.

• Thus, the total injury-reducing effect would increase if all children were to use the child restraint system most appropriate for their size and age.

• The challenge is to spread information as well as enhance design to encourage everyone to use the appropriate child restraint system and to use it correctly.

• Head injuries are the most frequent moderate or severe for side (as well as frontal) impacts.

• The head is by far the most injured body region in side impacts, while in frontal mpacts the injuries are more evenly distributed over the different body parts.

• Rearward-facing child seats are designed primarily for frontal impacts, however the outcome for side and rear-end impacts indicates a good performance in these situations.

• No rearward-facing child sustained MAIS 2+ injuries in side or rear-end impacts.