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Article
The Effectiveness of Child Safety Seat Laws in the Fifty States
Review of Policy Research
  • David J. Houston, University of Tennessee - Knoxville
  • Lillard E. Richardson, Jr., University of Missouri
  • Grant W. Neeley, University of Dayton
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-1-2001
Abstract

This study evaluates the effectiveness of state child safety seat laws in the United States. Data for all 50 states for the period 1975 to 1994 are used. Pooled time series analysis is employed to estimate a model of the rate of fatalities suffered by children ages 0–5 years as occupants in automobile crashes. The occupant fatality rate for children 6–11 years of age is used as a comparison group to control for other trends not introduced in the estimated models. The results show that child safety seat policies have significantly reduced fatality rates among children 0–5 years of age. For each additional year of age covered by a state statute, this fatality rate drops 4.8%. A similar reduction in the fatality rate of the older age cohort (6–11 years old) was not observed.

Inclusive pages
163-184
ISBN/ISSN
1541-132X
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Citation Information
David J. Houston, Lillard E. Richardson and Grant W. Neeley. "The Effectiveness of Child Safety Seat Laws in the Fifty States" Review of Policy Research Vol. 18 Iss. 1 (2001)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/grant_neeley/11/