Nueva investigación demuestra que las muertes en accidentes de autos aumentan a partir de los 12 años

Researchers share 5 key tips for parents to protect children from unsafe driving situations

Philadelphia, PA, March 3, 2008 -- Child passengers, ages 12 to 16, are more likely to die in a car crash than younger children, according to a study released today in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. This risk increases with each teenage year. Conducted as part of an on-going research collaboration between The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and State Farm Insurance Companies®, the study offers evidence-based guidelines for parents and policymakers to help protect this vulnerable age group.

Researchers examined 45,560 crashes involving 8- to 17-year-old passengers. Between 2000 and 2005, 9,807 passengers in this age group died in crashes.

“We saw a clear tipping point between ages 12 and 14, where child passengers became much more likely to die in a crash than their younger counterparts,” says Flaura Koplin-Winston, M.D., Ph.D., founder and co-scientific director of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at CHOP. “Long before these children ever receive a leaner’s permit, they begin to exhibit a pattern that looks more like the high fatality rates we see for teen drivers.”

Of the nearly 10,000 passenger deaths studied by the CHOP researchers, more than half (54.4 percent) were riding with a driver under age 20; nearly two-thirds were unrestrained; and more than three-quarters of the crashes occurred on roads with posted speed limits above 45-miles- per-hour. Alcohol was also a factor in one-fifth of the fatal crashes. Previous research has shown that as children grow into adolescence, they are more likely to ride in cars with drivers other than their parents, such as classmates, friends, or older siblings.

After controlling for a variety of factors, researchers found key predictors that pose the greatest risk to older child passengers. “Riding with drivers younger than 16 years old, not wearing seat belts, and riding on higher speed roads are the three biggest factors contributing to an older child being killed in a crash,” says Dr. Winston. “Knowing the risks can help parents and teens make smart decisions about which rides are safe, and which ones are off limits.”

"We should not accept teen crash deaths as random accidents," says Laurette Stiles, vice president of Strategic Resources of State Farm. "These deaths are preventable. Our hope is that teens, parents and policymakers will work together to develop a culture of safe, smart passengers by providing guidance, and reinforcing safe behaviors throughout the teen years."

CHOP researchers recommend these tips to help parents protect their children from an unsafe driving situation:

1. Insist on seat belts. All occupants should buckle up on every trip, every time.
2. Set a good example. Don’t drink and drive. Avoid distractions like cell phones. Obey the speed limit.
3. Set rules about safe passenger behaviors. Discuss what’s helpful or distracting to a driver.
4. Monitor your child’s travel. Know where he or she is going, with whom, how they are getting there, and when they will be home.
5. Know and trust the driver. It’s not safe for your child to ride with a teen who has less than one year of driving experience.

Además, Winston afirma que los cambios en las políticas, acompañados con una mayor vigilancia y control, también pueden contribuir a la protección de los conductores adolescentes y sus pasajeros. Leyes óptimas para la Licencia Gradual de Conducir (GDL, en inglés) que pongan un mayor énfasis en una etapa de aprendizaje más prolongada que comience a los 16, así como restricciones en el manejo nocturno y para pasajeros durante la etapa intermedia pueden ayudar a reducir el riesgo para los adolescentes. También se recomiendan leyes primarias para el uso de cinturones de seguridad para todos los ocupantes hasta al menos 18 años.

For more information on this study and to find additional tips, parents can visit www.chop.edu/youngdrivers. See the "Teaching Your Teen to Be a Smart Passenger" tip sheet.

Acerca de The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (Hospital de Niños de Filadelfia)
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric health care professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 430-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit www.chop.edu.

Acerca de State Farm
State Farm® asegura muchos más vehículos y viviendas que cualquier otra aseguradora en los Estados Unidos. Es la aseguradora líder de embarcaciones y lleva también el liderazgo en Canadá. Los 17,000 agentes y 68,000 empleados de State Farm tienen a su cargo más de 76 millones de pólizas de autos, incendio, vida y salud en Estados Unidos y Canadá, y más de 1.7 millones de cuentas bancarias. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company es la empresa matriz de la familia de compañías de State Farm. State Farm ocupa el puesto No. 31 en la lista de las compañías mas grandes según la revista Fortune 500. Para más información, visite statefarm.com® o statefarm.ca® en Canadá.