(no subject)

[birdwatcher]

In recent crashes and old ones, in big vehicles and small, in one-car crashes and multiple-vehicle crashes, there is no evidence that car seats do a better job than seat belts in saving the lives of children older than 2. (In certain kinds of crashes -- rear-enders, for instance -- car seats actually perform worse.)
[from marginalrevtion]

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Somehow, in Sweden, children ride in rear-facing seats up to age 5 or so. Don't know how they manage to fit a 5=year old in a rear-facing seat, but they have remarkably low rates. From what I know, in Europe they started to implement special seatbelts that would fit small children, but no movement in US.

The big drawabck in NYT article is that they looked at deaths only. It might be that in really bad accident, it wouldn't matter. But what about injuries ? Also, did they startify by age and look at younger vs. older children. "2 and older wearing seatbelt" sounds contradictory - imagine 2-year old with adult seatbelt - a travesty.

[birdwatcher.livejournal.com]

Rates чего? Мертвецов на милю?

[sashura.livejournal.com]

Ideally, injuries (fatal or not) per accident. But since you can't get this data as half the accidents are not reported unless there was an injury, rate of injuries per child will do.

[keethraxx.livejournal.com]

as linked above --
http://web.archive.org/web/20050828192606/http://www.freakonomics.com/2005/07/more-evidence-on-car-seats-vs-seat.html