Community Campaign Increases Booster Seat Use

Belt positioning booster seats are recommended for use with children 4 to 8 years of age to reduce motor vehicle-associated deaths and injuries in this vulnerable population.¹ However, only 19% of 4-to 8-year-old children currently ride in booster seats.² The authors from the University of Washington and Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, evaluated the efficacy of a community-based campaign to increase booster seat use in Seattle. The intensive community campaign was developed with input from a wide range of participants including parents, public health professionals, child care providers, physicians, law enforcement officers, and educators. Elements of the community campaign included a broad-based educational program with multimedia coverage (television, radio, newspaper), a booster seat website, multi-lingual educational pamphlets, a telephone hotline, and resource kits for preschools and health care providers. Additional elements of the campaign included a citizen advisory board, car seat training programs for health care and child care providers, and …