Putting Your Kids in the Back Seat Could Save Their Lives

August 2005

There’s good news for parents who insist their children sit in the back seat of the car. The death toll of children 12 and under killed in auto accidents fell nearly 20% during the past nine years.

The drop in fatalities is credited to a campaign by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommending kids under 12 sit in back, keeping them away from deploying airbags. Safety experts believe that the back seat is much safer for children whether or not a vehicle has airbags.

According to a study that will be published in next issue of Journal of Safety Research, the number of children under 13 who died in car crashes fell 18%, from 1,346 in 1995 to 1,110 in 2003, the most current year of data available.

NHTSA officials urge parents to continue placing children in the back seat, regardless of new “smarter” airbags, since technology is evolving and the bags are not infallible.

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