Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety
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In California, car crashes are the number one cause of injury-related fatalities for children and adolescents between the ages of 5 to 19, and the second leading cause of injury-related fatalities for children under the age of five. While child restraint systems are a reliable source of protection, they are often used incorrectly, putting the young passengers at risk for injury or death.
Risks associated with teen drivers are very different than for younger children. Often, teen drivers are learning their driving behaviors and safety procedures from their caregivers and peers, many of whom do not practice or teach driving correctly. Furthermore, the traffic safety community has become increasingly concerned about teen drivers and passengers because of their risk-taking behaviors while driving or riding.
For more information on motor vehicle occupant safety, please visit:
->California Programs
->National Programs
->National Research Centers
->International Programs
->International Research Centers
->Bus Safety Program
->Related Materials and Publications
->Best, Good, and Promising Practices
->California Laws and Regulations
California Programs
- California Department of Public Health: Vehicle Occupant Safety Program
- California Office of Traffic Safety
- City of Long Beach Child Passenger, Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Program
- SafetyBeltSafe USA
- Santa Cruz County Department of Public Health: Child Passenger Safety Outreach and Education Program
- U.C. Berkeley Traffic Safety Center
- U.C. Davis Health System Trauma Prevention and Outreach: Child Passenger Safety
- Ventura County Public Health Department: Child Passenger Safety Program
National Programs
- AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
- American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association
- CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control: Motor Vehicle Safety
- Every 15 Minutes
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
- Kids and Cars.org
- National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education: Car Safety
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- National Motorists Association
- National Safety Council: Driver Safety
- National Safety Council: Teen Driving
- National Traffic Safety Institute
- Safe Kids USA: Child Passenger Safety
- Safe Kids USA: Safety In and Around Cars Safety
- The Center for Auto Safety
- The Center for Injury Research and Prevention at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- ThinkFirst Foundation
- U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration
National Research Centers
- Institute for Transportation Research and Education at North Carolina State University
- National Crash Analysis Center
- National Center for Statistics and Analysis
- National Institute for Driver Behavior
- National Traffic Law Center
- National Transportation Library
- National Transportation Safety Board
- Northwestern University Transportation Center
- Transportation Research Board
- Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center
- U.C. Berkeley Traffic Safety Center
- University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
- University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center
International Programs
- Arrive Alive - South Africa
- ArriveSAFE - India
- Association for Safe International Road Travel
- Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals
- Department for Transport: Road Safety- United Kingdom
- International Traffic Medicine Association
- Motor Accident Authority of New South Wales - Australia
- National Highways Authority of India
- National Society for Road Safety - Sweden
- Road Safety Scotland
- RoadWise - Australia
- South African Department of Transport
- The Institution of Highways and Transportation - UK
International Research Centers
- Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research - Canada
- Australian Road Research Board
- Australian Transport Safety Bureau
- Central Road Research Institute - India
- French National Institute for Transport and Safety Research
- European Road Safety Observatory
- Indian Institute of Technology: Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Programme
- International Road Federation - Switzerland
- International Transport Forum
- Land Transport Safety Authority - New Zealand
- University of Leeds Institute for Transport Studies- UK
- Victoria Transport Policy Institute - Canada
Other Motor Vehicle Programs
Bus Safety Program
- National Association for Pupil Transportation
- National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation
- National Coalition for School Bus Safety
- Pupil Transportation Safety Institute
- School Bus Information Clearinghouse
Related Materials and Publications
- Ad Council: Youth Reckless Driving Prevention PSA
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Children's Health Topics- Car Safety Seats and Transportation Safety
- Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine: Effectiveness of Child Safety Seats vs. Seat Belts in Reducing Risk for Death in Children in Passenger Vehicle Crashes
- Child Trends DataBank: Are Teens Driving Safer? Newsletter [pdf, 232KB*]
- Children’s Safety Network: Telling Your Story- A Marketing and Communication Skills Workshop for Traffic Safety Professionals Booklet [pdf, 321KB*]
- Children’s Safety Network: Guidelines for Developing Traffic Safety Educational Materials for Spanish-Speaking Audiences Booklet [pdf, 2.9MB*]
- Family and Consumer Sciences: Road Wise- A Complete Traffic Safety Program Toolkit
- Journal of American Medical Association: Belt-Positioning, Booster Seats, and Reduction in Risk of Injury Among Children in Vehicle Crashes
- Journal of Pediatrics: Safe Transportation of Preterm and Low Birth Weight Infants at Hospital Discharge
- National Safety Council: Family Guide to Teen Driving Safety Guide [pdf, 1.2MB*]
- Safe Kids USA: Kids at the Crossroads- A National Survey of Physical Environment and Motorist Behavior at Intersections in School Zones Brochure [pdf, 355KB*]
- Safe Kids USA: Stop Sign Violations Put Child Pedestrians at Risk [pdf, 171KB*]
- Safe Ride News
- Traffic Injury Prevention Journal
- The USAA Educational Foundation: Driving Safety Publications
- World Health Organization: Road Traffic Injury Prevention Training Manual [pdf, 3.2MB*]
- World Health Organization: Speed Management- A Road Safety Manual for Decision-Makers and Practitioners [pdf, 1.2MB*]
- World Health Organization: Youth and Road Safety [pdf, 3MB*]
*PDF documents require Adobe Reader. Download Adobe Reader for free.
Best, Good, and Promising Practices for Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Car Safety Seats- A Guide for Families
- American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on Children in Pickup Trucks
- American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on Selecting and Using the Most Appropriate Car Safety Seats for Growing Children- Guidelines for Counseling Parents
- American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on The Teen Driver
- CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control: Motor Vehicle Safety
- Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center Best Practices: Motor Vehicle Safety
- NACCHO Model Program: Buckle Up Boston! Child Passenger Safety Program
- NACCHO Promising Program: Washington County Car Seat Program
- NACCHO Promising Program: Salt Lake Valley Health Department School-based Booster Seat Program
- The Community Guide: Motor Vehicle-related Injury Prevention- Use of Child Safety Seats
- The Community Guide: Motor Vehicle-related Injury Prevention- Use of Seat Belts
California Laws and Regulations
The following links provides a brief description of relevant laws and regulations. For more information click on the provided links.
- Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety: Summary of laws by state
- California Vehicle Code Section §12814: Provisional license for minors
- California Vehicle Code Section §15600: "Kaitlyn's Law" - Unattended Child in Motor Vehicle Act
- California Vehicle Code Section §23136: Zero tolerance for underage drinkers while driving
- California Vehicle Code Section §§23152-23229: Driving under the influence
- California Vehicle Code Section §§27302-27317: Seatbelt law
- California Vehicle Code Section §27316: School bus safety belts
- California Vehicle Code Section §§27360-27368: Child Passenger Restraints Requirements
- Child Passenger Safety Laws and Regulations
