Data from the CT Dept. of Transportation indicates that the use of child passenger safety restraints decreased almost every year between 2005 and 2009, from 96.9% to 84.9%. Since 2010, the rate has been increasing to a current value of 89.5%. Efforts to prevent injuries from motor vehicle crashes include increasing the use of seatbelts and child safety seats. The Healthy Connecticut 2020 Objective is to increase the use of child passenger safety restraints to 93.4% (a 10% increase). Data last updated 6/3/2016.  Next data update is expected 8/31/2020.

Potential Partners

Connecticut Department of Public Health; Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles; Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate; State Department of Education; Connecticut Judicial Branch; Connecticut Department of Transportation; Office of the Child Advocate; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other federal agencies; law enforcement; regional planning organizations; local public health agencies; health care providers including hospitals, emergency medical services, nurses, and emergency physicians; health professional associations; organizations and coalitions focused on prevention of motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and child safety; and others.

1) Guide to Community Preventive Services for Motor Vehicle-Related Injury Prevention;
2) Countermeasures that Work: A Highway Safety Countermeasure Guide for State Highway Safety Offices, Third Edition;
3) The Handbook of Injury and Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control - Interventions to Prevent Motor Vehicle Injuries

Potential Strategies:

Align State child safety restraint requirement with American Academy of Pediatric guidelines.

Develop educational materials for non-English speaking and low literacy populations on child passenger safety.

Recruit and train child passenger safety technicians.

Expand screening and distribution of child restraint seats.