Motor vehicle safety

For children between the ages of 5 and 14, unintentional injury-related deaths occur most often when riding in a car. In 2000 alone, 1,471 children ages 14 and under died in motor vehicle crashes, according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition, more than 250,000 children under the age of 14 were injured in car crashes that same year.

Children are most often injured, suffer more severe injuries, or die in motor vehicle crashes when they are not properly restrained. According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, children under age 4 who ride in motor vehicles unrestrained are twice as likely to die or suffer injuries in a car crash.

There are many injuries that may occur as a result of motor vehicle accidents that require clinical care by a physician or other healthcare provider. Listed in the directory below are some other considerations for motor vehicle safety, for which a brief overview has been provided.

If you cannot find the information in which you are interested, please visit the Safety and Injury Prevention Related Web sites page to view a list of Web sites that may contain additional information on that topic.

Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates
Identifying High-Risk Situations
Installing and Using Child Safety Seats and Booster Seats
Pedestrian Safety
Teenage Drivers

Return to the Safety and Injury Prevention Home Page
Return to the Disorders, Diseases and Organ Topics Home Page