Use of Child Safety Seats: Distribution and Education Programs

Task Force Finding*

Through distribution and education programs, approved child safety seats are given, lent, or rented at low cost to parents. All programs also include educational components of varying intensities. These programs target parents and other caregivers who might need assistance in acquiring a safety seat because of financial hardship or poor understanding of the importance of using child safety seats.

Distribution and education programs are strongly recommended on the basis that they increase child safety seat use when implemented (1) in a range of settings; (2) in a variety of population subgroups; and (3) as loan, rental, or giveaway programs. In addition, one study indicated a reduction in injury insurance claims among a population provided with safety seats by an automobile insurance company. No harms or other potential benefits were reported and no qualifying economic information was identified from the literature.

An important implementation issue regarding distribution and education programs has arisen since the studies in this review were conducted. Because the integrity of child safety seats can be compromised in a crash, seats returned to a distribution and education program should not be lent to others because there can be no guarantee that they were not involved in a crash. Therefore, when implementing child safety seat distribution and education programs, only new, unused seats should be provided to all recipients.

*From the following publication:

Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Recommendations to reduce injuries to motor vehicle occupants: increasing child safety seat use, increasing safety belt use, and reducing alcohol-impaired driving. [PDF - 78KB] Am J Prev Med 2001;21(4S):16–22.

Review completed: June 1998