Engaging Underserved Communities and Populations in Child Passenger Safety

Children living in underserved communities have lower rates of child restraint use than children living in other communities. A 2014 study published in Pediatrics (official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics) found significantly higher proportions of white parents reported their 1- to 3-year-old and 4- to 7-year-old children always used the age-appropriate restraint compared with nonwhite parents (85.3% vs 61.3% and 88.5% vs 69.1%) (https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/133/2/262/30876/Disparities-in-Age-Appropriate-Child-Passenger?autologincheck=redirected). This research reinforces the need to more equitably implement highway safety programs, with an increased focus on people living in underserved communities. Child Passenger Safety (CPS) is one focus area for State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs), affording the opportunity to more effectively engage people living in underserved communities. Achieving this objective would further the CPS goal of protecting children from motor vehicle crash fatalities and injuries. Repeated requests for best practices have yielded some materials, but there is no research-based toolkit available for SHSOs and other organizations with a vested interest in children’s education, health, and safety to support more effective engagement of underserved communities. For the purpose of this RFP (1) “underserved communities” are defined as areas of persistent poverty and historically disadvantaged communities and (2) “organizations with a vested interest in children’s education, health, and safety” include (but are not limited to) schools, first responders, faith-based organizations, community organizations, outreach programs, social services, and health care providers. The objective of this research is to develop a CPS toolkit, that reflects behavioral safety principles and practices, to serve as a resource to support more effective engagement of underserved communities and populations.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5568
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $400000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project BTS-30

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Behavioral Traffic Safety Cooperative Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Governors Highway Safety Association

  444 N. Capitol Street, NW, Suite 722
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, D.C.  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Retting, Richard

• Start Date: 20240325
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Children; Equity; Highway safety; Minorities; Outreach; Passengers; Safety programs; Stakeholders; Training; Underserved communities
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01886952
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project BTS-30
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Jul 4 2023 1:01PM