Injuries from car accidents declining for kids

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the number of children killed in car crashes hit its lowest point since the agency started keeping track 36 years ago. Iowa’s DOT tracks figures too, but they’re so small, analyst Scott Falb explains there isn’t really a pattern.There’s no trend in Iowa as such, because most years there are fewer than ten fatalities. Such small numbers make a change meaningless, says Falb, as he lists the totals.In 200 there were 7, in 1999 three, 1998 five, 1997 8, and 1996 there were 17 kids killed. A change of just one or two can seem to make a big difference in such small numbers, but the data analyst says you can see a trend much more clearly in the number of children injured in wrecks.In 1994-95 there were 1,200 injuries, the highest totals, but by 2000 the injuries were down to 886. And there’s a clear reason: child passenger restraints are being used more, in nearly 80-percent of cars. Falb says hired spotters report we buckle in ourselves more than our kids: adults are properly restrained at a rate of 81-percent.