A new report from the CDC finds that childhood motor vehicle traffic–related death rates declined; however, these deaths remain the leading cause of unintentional injury death for children aged 0–19 years.
The high incidence and preventability of child and adolescent traffic-related death injuries highlight the need for public health action.
The CDC report is based on death certificate data from 2000 to 2009 collected from all 50 states and the District of Columbia via CDC’s National Vital Statistics System. Motor vehicle traffic-related deaths were divided into occupant, pedestrian, pedal cyclist, unspecified, and all other motor vehicle traffic–related deaths. Annual death rates were calculated using population totals from the U.S. Census.
From 2000 to 2009, motor vehicle traffic–related death rates decreased 41%, from 9.3 to 5.5 per 100,000. Although this is an improvement, these deaths are still the leading cause of unintentional injury death among personal aged 0–19 years. In the 5–19 age group, traffic deaths account for 67% of all unintentional injury deaths in 2009.
To prevent traffic-related deaths of children, more can be done:
- Stiffer penalties for alcohol-impaired driving;
- Implementation of multiple measures to reduce the incidence of alcohol-impaired driving on a nationwide basis with more federal funding;
- Licensing requirements that keep unsafe drivers off of the road, including nationwide implementation of graduated driver licensing for teens and limitation of nighttime driving for teens and those with impaired eyesight;
- More crash testing of vehicles to uncover design defects;
- More authority for federal regulators to recall defective vehicles;
- National guidelines on use of signs warning of construction zones and instructing drivers how to merge in these areas;
- Education on the use of child safety seats and booster seats; and
- Laws mandating child safety seat use and enforcement of seat belt use in all states.
Attorney Eric Hageman, accident lawyer and father of 5 children, represents parents in wrongful death lawsuits throughout the United States. His focus on serious accident cases, including those involving an 18-wheeler or other commercial truck, has resulted in multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts for his clients. To contact Eric, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our firm’s free consultation form.
