Assessment of parents' knowledge of the use of child restraint systems

Abstract

Introduction. Currently, the number of traffic injuries among children has increased considerably in recent years, due to the increase in transport units and the incorrect use of safety systems for people under 12 years old. Aim of study. The purpose of the study is to evaluate parents' knowledge regarding the use of safety systems among children to prevent road injuries. Methods and materials. An observational study was conducted on the use of road safety systems among children in the Republic of Moldova, in 2022. 288 driver-parents and 356 children participated in the study. The data were collected by applying a questionnaire with 22 questions among the parents who brought or took their children from the early education institutions. 30 institutions were included in the study. Data collection was done in the morning (7.00-9.00) when the children were brought and, in the evening, (16.00-19.00) when the children were picked up. Results. Seat belts were used by 148 (51.38 %) of 288 parent drivers. Of the 356 child passengers observed, 62.5% were properly restrained, 20.5% were seated in inappropriate child restraint systems, and 16.6% of the children were not using any restraint system. Most parents 174 (60.4%) use a car device for child protection, 36 (12.5%) because they are required by law and the rest did not use it because of the high price/accessibility. When they were asked from what age children can travel in the front seat, most parents answered that they did not know, 92 (31.9%) parents answered that from 12 years old, 32 (11.1%) that they must have at least 6 years. The majority of parents 159 (55.2%) consider that preschoolers should be positioned in the car seat, 85 (29.5%) parents confirm that the maximum age for using car seats is school children. Conclusion. The obtained results will contribute to the development of actions to prevent road traffic accidents and traumas in order to convince car drivers to use road safety systems among children. Progress can be made to increase parents' knowledge and motivation to transport children safely and to ensure that safety seats are accessible and available.