Car Crash Deaths Increase Starting at Age 12, Study Finds

Child passengers ages 12 to 16 are more likely to die in a car crash than younger children, according to a study released in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. That risk increases with each teenage year.

The study was conducted as part of a research collaboration between The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance Companies. Researchers examined 45,560 crashes involving 8- to 17-year-old passengers. Between 2000 and 2005, 9,807 passengers in that age group died in crashes.

“We saw a clear tipping point between ages 12 and 14, where child passengers became much more likely to die in a crash than their younger counterparts,” said Flaura Koplin-Winston, founder and co-scientific director of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at CHOP. “Long before these children ever receive a learner’s permit, they begin to exhibit a pattern that looks more like the high fatality rates we see for teen drivers.”

Of the nearly 10,000 passenger deaths studied, more than half (54.4 percent) were riding with a driver under age 20; nearly two-thirds were unrestrained; and more than three-quarters of the crashes occurred on roads with speed limits above 45 miles per hour. Alcohol was a factor in one-fifth of the fatal crashes. Previous research has shown that as children grow into adolescence, they are more likely to ride with drivers other than parents, such as classmates, friends or older siblings.

After controlling for a variety of factors, researchers found key predictors that pose the greatest risk to older child passengers.

“Riding with drivers younger than 16 years old, not wearing seat belts, and riding on higher speed roads are the three biggest factors contributing to an older child being killed in a crash,” Winston said. “Knowing the risks can help parents and teens make smart decisions about which rides are safe.”

“We should not accept teen crash deaths as random accidents,” said Laurette Stiles, vice president of Strategic Resources for State Farm. “These deaths are preventable.”

The complete study is available at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Web site at www.chop.edu.

5 tips For Parents

CHOP researchers recommend the following tips to help parents protect their children from an unsafe driving situation:

1. Insist on seat belts. All occupants should buckle up on every trip, every time.
2. Set a good example. Don’t drink and drive. Avoid distractions like cell phones. Obey the speed limit.
3. Set rules about safe passenger behaviors. Discuss what’s helpful or distracting to a driver.
4. Know where the child is going, with whom, how they are getting there, and when they will be home.
5. Know and trust the driver. It’s not safe for a child to ride with a teen who has less than one year of driving experience.

Topics Auto Personal Auto