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Has anyone read Superfreakonomics re car seats?

ljlkmljlkm
in Babies: 9 - 12 Months
Turns out that for children over 2, car seats are no more effective in preventing death than using just the seat belt. They do concede that the seats are helpful in preventing non-fatal injuries. Still, it was interesting.
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Re: Has anyone read Superfreakonomics re car seats?

  • rosesandpeoniesrosesandpeonies member
    No didn't read it yet...was looking to read it soon.  Interesting.
    DD (8/12/09), DD (2/8/11)
    BFP 12/16/14| EDD 8/19/15 |MMC 1/15/15 (9 weeks 1 day)
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  • emiliemadisonemiliemadison member

    This is one of the scariest things I've heard in a long time. Because it's not true. And that is proven. Not only are car seats more effective at preventing death in children under two, but RF seats are more effective at this than FF seats. And children in booster seats are less likely to be killed in a crash than if they're in an adult seat belt (between ages 4 and 8).

    Do they think there's a conspiracy theory that is driving parents to buy car seats? 

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  • IU_babyIU_baby member
    Very interesting.  I really enjoyed Freakonomics, so I'll have to check this one out too.
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  • mavilabridemavilabride member
    That's weird that they would say that considering seatbelts are made for adults of a certain height and weight.  They are not made for children, especially young children so it would make more sense that they are safer in a car seat than they are in a regular seat with just a seat belt.
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  • pharmacygirlpharmacygirl
    hmmm that does'nt sound right to me but I do think it strange that in Illinois they have to be in a carseat/booster until they are 8 years old and the school buses don't even have seatbelts.
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  • ljlkmljlkm
    imageemiliemadison:

    This is one of the scariest things I've heard in a long time. Because it's not true. And that is proven. Not only are car seats more effective at preventing death in children under two, but RF seats are more effective at this than FF seats. And children in booster seats are less likely to be killed in a crash than if they're in an adult seat belt (between ages 4 and 8).

    Do they think there's a conspiracy theory that is driving parents to buy car seats? 

    They acknowledge that rear-facing is safer (even for adults) but note that most children over 2 are forward facing. And they had a lab test the stats and it held true in that crash test. I can't vouch for the completeness of their data, but their findings do seem to merit at least further investigation.
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  • ljlkmljlkm
    imagemavilabride:
    That's weird that they would say that considering seatbelts are made for adults of a certain height and weight.  They are not made for children, especially young children so it would make more sense that they are safer in a car seat than they are in a regular seat with just a seat belt.
    They discuss that, actually, and were surprised by it themselves. That's where they note the injuries come from. They actually suggest that back seats be made for children (since that's who sits back there, anyway).
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