Children in Cars : Casualty Statistics
Travelling as a passenger in a car is one of the main ways that children under 11 years old get about. Most of their journeys are completed safely. Unfortunately, some are not.
When cars crash, the speeds involved usually mean severe impacts, which all too often cause death and injury to people inside and outside the car.
Every year, around 25 children between the ages of 0 and 11 years are killed while travelling in cars, about 250 are seriously injured and around 6,000 slightly injured. The proper use of child car restraints would prevent many of these deaths and injuries.
| |
0 - 4 years |
5 - 7 years |
8 - 11 years |
| Killed |
12 |
6 |
6 |
| Seriously Injured |
90 |
60 |
97 |
| Slightly Injured |
1,632 |
1,444 |
2,582 |
| Total |
1,734 |
1,510 |
2,685 |
Don't let your child become one of these statistics.
In a 30 mph crash, an unrestrained child would be thrown forward with a force 30 to 60 times their body weight. They would be thrown about inside the vehicle, injuring themselves and quite possibly seriously inuring (or even killing) anyone else inside the vehicle. They are also likely to be ejected from the car through one of the windows.
The safest way for children to travel in cars is to use a child seat that is suitable for their weight and size. A properly fitted child restraint keeps the child in their seat, preventing them from being thrown about inside or ejected from the vehicle. This reduces the likelihood of your child being killed or injured in a crash.
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