RESULTS OF
THE 1999 HAWAII CHILD RESTRAINT USE SURVEY
Report to Motor Vehicle Safety Office
Department of Transportation
State of Hawaii
Karl Kim, Ph.D. (Principal Investigator)
Dial Keju (Research Assistant)
Department of Urban and Regional Planning · University of Hawaii at Manoa
E-mail: karlk@hawaii.edu · Website: www.durp.hawaii.edu
Tel: 808-956-7381 · FAX: 808-956-6870
I. INTRODUCTION
This report contains the results of the 1999 child restraint use survey in Hawaii. Hawaii’s child restraint law (HRS, 291-11.5) requires all children under age four to be restrained. The law requires all children to use child safety seats until age three. At age three, the use of either child restraint or seat belt is required. The University of Hawaii’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) collected and analyzed 1,981 observations of children in motor vehicles at eight shopping malls on Oahu during February and March, 1999. The selection and methodology were based on past studies done over the period of 1990 to 1998.
II. SUMMARY
In comparison to the 1998 study, the compliance rate for infants (<1 year) has decreased from 84.4% to 82.2% while the restraint use rate has increased among toddlers (1-3 years) from 37.0% to 38.9%. Overall restraint use among children (0-3 years) has declined slightly from 48.1% to 47.8% (see Figure 1).
FIGURE 1
OVERALL CHILD RESTRAINT BY YEAR, 1990-1999
III. METHODOLOGY
To ensure compatibility of data accross time, the same observation sites were from previous reports. Methodology and procedures emplyed in this report have also be maintained from earlier years. Figure 2 shows the locations of each observation site:
(1) Ala Moana Shopping Center;
(2) Hawaii Kai Shopping Center;
(3) Kahala Mall;
(4) Koko Marina Shopping Center;
(5) Pearl Ridge Shopping Center;
(6) Waianae Mall;
(7) Waikele Shopping Center;
(8) Windward Mall.
FIGURE 2
LOCATIONS OF SHOPPING CENTERS ON OAHU
The data were collected by teams of two observers: one to observe children in each vehicle and another who recorded data. The observers were stationed at the main entrance of each shopping mall during weekends form 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Since the observers did not communicate with the motorists, the ages of the children observed were not confirmed. Collected data were entered into a database at DURP and analyzed using SAS, a statistical software package. Within a 95% confidence interval, the overall marginal error of the estimate reported this year is ±2.2%.
IV. FINDINGS
The analysis of the child restraint use data covers four different topics:
(1) differences between infants and toddlers;
(2) differences by site location;
(3) changes since the last observation period; and
(4) child restraint use relative to vehicle occupants seat belt use.
(1) DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INFANTS AND TODDLERS
As with previous surveys, infants are defined as children below age one and toddlers as children of age one through three. The survey found that infants were more likely to be restrained than toddlers. Of the 404 infants observed, 332 (82.2%) were restrained. Only 614 (38.9%) of the 1,577 observed toddlers were restrained (Table 1).
TABLE 1
PROPER RESTRAINT STATUS BY AGE GROUP, 1999
| | Total Observed | Restrained | Unrestrained |
| | | Number
Restrained | Percent
Restrained | Number
Unrestrained | Percent
Unrestrained |
| Infants | 404 | 332 | 82.2% | 72 | 17.8% |
| Toddlers | 1,577 | 614 | 38.9% | 963 | 61.1% |
| Overall | 1,981 | 946 | 47.8% | 1,035 | 52.3% |
Figure 3 illustrates patters of non-compliance with child restraint laws. The current survey found that toddlers (51.9%) were more likely to be unrestrained than infants (18.1%). In addition, toddlers (38.1%) were more likely to be restrained by seat belts than infants (2.8%). Infants (55.6%), on the other hand, were more likely to be held inthe lap of a front-seat occupant than toddlers (4.9%). Finally, infants (23.6%) were more likely to be improperly restrained than toddlers (5.1%). These results are consistent with previous surveys.
FIGURE 3
CATEGORIES OF NON-COMPLIANCE AND SEAT BELT USE AMONG TODDLERS AND INFANTS,
1999
Table 2 provides a detailed breakdown of infants not in compliance with the child safety seat law. Of the 72 infants observed, 40 (55.6%) sat on the lap of vehicle occupant. This is followed by 23.6% in the “Improperly Restrained” category, which includes: (1) a safety seat held by a vehicle occupant, (2) improper harnessing of a safety seat, and (3) an improper use of safety seat. Currently, the “Improper Restraint” category presents a dramatic increase from the previous year’s survey result of 13.5%. Another 18.1% of infants this year were unrestrained and 2.8% were seat belted.
TABLE 2
UNRESTRAINED AND IMPROPERLY RESTRAINED INFANTS (<1 Year), 1999
| | Number of
Infants | Percent
Distribution |
| Unrestrained (no safety seat or seat belt) | 13 | 18.1% |
| Sitting on Lap | 40 | 55.6% |
| Improperly Restrained | 17 | 23.6% |
| Seat Belted | 2 | 2.8% |
| Total | 72 | 100.0% |
Table 3 shows that toddlers who were not in compliance with the child restraint law were completely unrestrained 51.9% of the time. This is followed by toddlers using seat belts (38.1%). Note that not all toddlers using seat belts are in violation of the child restraint law. Seat belt use as a restraint device among toddlers is permissible at age three.
TABLE 3
UNRESTRAINED AND IMPROPERLY RESTRAINED TODDLERS (1-3 Years), 1999
| | Number of
Toddlers | Percent
Distribution |
| Unrestrained (no safety seat or seat belt) | 500 | 51.9% |
| Sitting on Lap | 47 | 4.9% |
| Improperly Restrained | 49 | 5.1% |
| Seat Belted | 367 | 38.1% |
| Total | 963 | 100.0% |
When examining the child restraint use rate, it is important to consider that positioning of the infants in child seats. NHTSA’s guidelines require infants to be seated facing rearwards. Currently, only 23.5% of infants meet NHTSA’s guidelines. Figure 4 illustrates infant restraint positioning.
FIGURE 4
INFANT RESTRAINT CHARACTERISTICS, 1999
(2) DIFFERENCES BY SITE LOCATIONS
Table 4 shows significant differences in child restraint use between locations. Waikele Shopping Center had the highest overall restraint use rate at 57.8%, followed closely by Ala Moana (57.3%). Waikele also had the highest toddler use rate at 52.7%. Infant restraint use at Ala Moana increased significantly since the previous survey, from 85.0% to 100.0%. Restraint use rate in Waianae has declined in all categories.
TABLE 4
RESTRAINT BY LOCATION, 1999
| | Infants | Toddlers | Total |
| | Restrained/
Observed | Percent
Restrained | Restrained/
Observed | Percent
Restrained | Restrained/
Observed | Percent
Restrained |
| Ala Moana | 40/40 | 100% | 129/255 | 50.6% | 169/295 | 57.3% |
| Hawaii Kai | 27/30 | 90.0% | 85/181 | 47.0% | 112/211 | 53.1% |
| Kahala Mall | 42/44 | 95.5% | 77/168 | 45.8% | 119/212 | 56.1% |
| Koko Marina | 27/28 | 96.4% | 55/177 | 31.1% | 82/205 | 40.0% |
| Pearl Ridge | 34/41 | 82.9% | 72/189 | 38.1% | 106/230 | 46.1% |
| Waikele | 38/39 | 97.4% | 158/300 | 52.7% | 196/339 | 57.8% |
| Waianae | 57/95 | 60.0% | 13/195 | 6.7% | 70/290 | 24.1% |
| Windward Mall | 67/87 | 77.0% | 25/112 | 22.3% | 70/290 | 46.2% |
(3) CHANGES SINCE THE LAST OBSERVATION PERIODS
Table 5 shows a fluctuation in overall restraint use from 1990 (59.2%) through 1999 (47.8%) with 1992 (66.7%) having the highest rate of compliance. It is interesting that while compliance for infants has increased from 68.1% (1990) to 82.1% (1999), the rate among toddlers increased slightly from 37.0% to 38.9% while infant declined from 84.4% to 82.1%.
TABLE 5
CHILD SAFETY RESTRAINT USE, 1990-1999
| | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1995 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
| Infants | 68.1% | 59.7% | 82.1% | 84.1% | 83.4% | 77.9% | 84.4% | 82.1% |
| Toddlers | 57.3% | 44.0% | 59.0% | 46.4% | 25.6% | 20.8% | 37.0% | 38.9% |
| Overall | 59.2% | 55.3% | 66.7% | 58.5% | 37.0% | 31.4% | 48.1% | 47.8% |
(1) DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INFANTS AND TODDLERS
In examining child restraint use, it is important to observe the patterns of seat belt use among adult vehicle occupants. Observations are grouped by adult seat belt use so as to indicate whether or not seat belt use influences child restraint use. Consistent with the previous surveys, the current child restraint use rate is substantially greater when vehicle occupants are seat belted. Specifically, in vehicles where driver and an adult front seat occupant were belted, 53.9% of the children were in compliance with child safety restraint laws. Vehicles with unbelted driver and a front seat occupant showed child restraint compliance of only 46.1% (Table 6).
TABLE 6
CHILD RESTRAINT USE BY FRONT-SEAT OCCUPANT BELT USE, 1999
| | Front-seat
Occupants
Observed | Restrained | Unrestrained |
| | | Number of Front-
seat Occupants
Restrained | Percent
Children
Restrained | Number of Front-
seat Occupants
Restrained | Percent
Children
Restrained |
Vehicle occupants
Belted(adult drivers
and front seat
occupants) | 1,469 | 792 | 53.9% | 677 | 46.1% |
Vehicle occupants Not
Belted | 505 | 152 | 30.1% | 363 | 69.9% |
V. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The 1999 survey reveals that overall child safety restraint use on Oahu has slightly decreased from 48.1% to 47.8% since the last survey. It is worth noting that though infant restraint use declined (from 84.4% to 82.2%) while toddler increased (37.0% to 38.9%), infant compliance is still higher than that of toddlers.
Hence, these findings suggest several recommendations:
(1) Further study is needed on locational differences. For instance, further analysis is needed to assess why the child restraint use rate in Waianae lags behind all other locations.
(2) Specific education and enforcement policies needed to be formulated and implemented in areas where non compliance to child safety law is not observed.
(3) As a result of the current studies, public education and public information should be evaluated for effectiveness in order to increase restraint use for children.