Are Fewer Children Dying from Car Accidents? Report

Though statistics still show just how dangerous driving can be for those on the road and in the car, especially if any of the drivers are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, a recent report by U.S. health officials has shown that the percentage of children's deaths due to car accidents has decreased by roughly one-third over the years thanks to proper buckling.

The report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examined data on children who had died due to car accidents and included those aged 12 or younger from 2002 to 2011. Officials calculated that during this time frame, the percentage of children who had died due to car collisions fell by 43 percent despite findings that more than 9,000 children had died, with many of the cases due to the fact that the children's car seats or seat belts were not properly buckled. Improper buckling was particularly prevalent among black and Hispanic children, according to the findings-with up to 45 percent of black children and 46 percent of Hispanic that died from 2009 to 2010 due to buckling issues. For white children, this percentage fell to 26 percent.

The CDC believes that such discrepancies may be due to financial issues, according to CDC director Tom Frieden. 

"We have made a lot of progress in reducing motor vehicle fatalities in the U.S. in the past decade, but still there are far too many deaths," Friden said, via Philly. "These are troubling numbers, especially since so many of these deaths could have been prevented by buckling children in age- and size-appropriate child restraints -- car seats, booster seats and seat belts -- on every trip."

At the end of their findings, researchers emphasized that child mortality rates due to car accidents could be further decreased by the proper use of car seats and seat belts for children as well as guidance on the proper gear for certain ages.

"There is no excuse for parents not putting the child in restraints," said Malvina Duncan, a child passenger safety instructor at Miami Children's Hospital. "It's just changing a mindset that 'it's not going to happen to me.' That is just a poor excuse. Parents have to do the right thing."

More information regarding the study findings can be seen via the CDC's Vital Signs.