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Inj Prev 2009;15:8-12 doi:10.1136/ip.2008.019224
  • Original Article

Non-fatal and fatal crash injury risk for children in minivans compared with children in sport utility vehicles

  1. M J Kallan1,2,
  2. K B Arbogast2,3,
  3. M R Elliott2,4,5,
  4. D R Durbin1,2,3
  1. 1
    Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
  2. 2
    Center for Injury Research and Prevention, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
  3. 3
    Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
  4. 4
    Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
  5. 5
    Survey Methodology Program, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
  1. Michael J Kallan, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 523 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; mkallan{at}mail.med.upenn.edu
  • Accepted 14 August 2008

Abstract

Objective: To compare the fatal and non-fatal crash injury risk for children in minivans compared with midsize and large sport utility vehicles (SUVs).

Design: Three large population-based sources of US crash data were used—a nationwide cohort of sampled police-reported crashes (NASS-CDS) along with a census of fatal crashes (FARS), plus a large child crash surveillance system, Partners for Child Passenger Safety (PCPS)—collected in 16 states via insurance claim records and validated telephone survey. Each included: 2000–2006 data, occupants aged 0–15 years, traveling in minivan or (midsize/large) SUV, model year 1998–2007. Outcome of interest was parent/driver report of non-fatal injury (Abbreviated Injury Scale scores of 2 or higher) in PCPS and fatal injury in NASS-CDS/FARS.

Results: Compared with children riding in SUVs, those in minivans experienced a similar crude reduction in the relative risk of non-fatal injury (PCPS: unadjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.55) and fatality (NASS-CDS/FARS cohort: unadjusted OR = 0.58). In PCPS, this reduction in injury risk changed little after adjustment for child, driver, and vehicle factors (adjusted OR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.82). Lower fatality risk in the NASS-CDS/FARS cohort was partially explained by the same factors (adjusted OR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.51 to 1.13).

Conclusions: There may be important safety differences in vehicles during a crash that lead to fewer non-fatal injuries to child occupants of minivans compared with SUVs.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None.

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