Misuse of booster cushions among children and adults in Shanghai - an observational and attitude study during buckling up

ABSTRACTObjective: Traffic crashes are one of the leading causes of fatalities among Chinese children. Booster cushion usage in China is low, and there are no studies showing how a population with limited experience handles booster cushions during buckling up. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the handling of and explore the attitudes toward booster cushions among children, parents, and grandparents in Shanghai.Methods: An observational study including a convenience sample of 254 children aged 4–12 years was conducted in 2 passenger cars at a shopping center in Shanghai. Parents, grandparents, or the children themselves buckled up the child on 2 types of booster cushions, a 2-stage integrated booster cushion (IBC) and an aftermarket booster cushion (BC). The test participants were observed during buckling up, first without and then with instructions. The test leaders conducted structured interviews.Results: Ninety-eight percent of the uninstructed participants failed to buckle up without identifie...