[The contribution of biomechanics to the safety of children inside motor vehicles]

Abstract

Because laws mandating use of seat belts by motor vehicle drivers and front seat passengers have been passed throughout the developed world, it is becoming increasingly common to see parents protected from injuries whereas their children are abandoned to the tragic effects of chance and biomechanics. In France, the situation is especially critical. The law passed in 1975 requiring that all children use the back seat has reduced the risk of death and severe injury but nevertheless affords inadequate protection: each year, among children aged 0 to 10 years, several hundred are killed and nearly 10,000 injured in car accidents. This situation can be decisively improved, as shown by the figures in the United States and most European countries where use of child restraint devices (CRD) is mandatory. CRDs are designed to protect the child in the event of an accident by reducing the risk of injury due to ejection or projection against the inside of the vehicle: they play the same role as the seat belt for adults. France is the European country with the lowest rate of use of CRDs and the highest rate of child deaths due to motor vehicle occupant injuries. To improve this situation, regulations are being developed by the French government; use of appropriate CRDs will be mandatory for all children aged 0 to 10 years starting on January 1 st, 1992.