Rollovers account for 28 percent of crash-related child fatalities of the 2.2 percent of fatal crashes in the U.S., says researcher Dr. Andrew Howard of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. Children "who are restrained in approved child safety seats can still be ejected during a rollover, despite being appropriately restrained in an approved device," according to his team's findings presented at the Sixth World Conference on Injury Prevention and Control.
The Toronto researchers examined statistics on child fatality and injury during crashes occurring across the U.S. in 1995-1999 using data from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Commission. Investigators found that more than 5,800 children were thrown from vehicles during that period of time, with rollover crashes accounting for a large percentage of child ejection. Risks for severe injury or death were 20 times higher if children were thrown from the vehicle rather than remaining restrained inside.
Moderator Comment: In what ways can retailers increase child safety and build adult consumer loyalty in the process?
Retailers need to be active in promoting safety through quality products and consumer education. Events such as car safety checks are ideal for building trusting relationships with consumers.
This Reuters piece sounds to us like a 60 Minutes report in the making. Can product recalls be far behind? [George Anderson - Moderator]