Press Releases
2009
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October 19, 2009
A study conducted by researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia found that children seated in a belt-positioning booster seat in the rear of the car are 45 percent less likely to be injured in a crash compared with children using a seat belt alone. Children riding in booster seats involved in side-impact crashes saw the greatest reduction in injury risk. The study results are published in the November 2009 issue of Pediatrics.
Read the press release.
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September 28, 2009
Two new studies conducted by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and State Farm Insurance Companies® published today in Pediatrics reveal a link between teen driver crashes and the way families communicate and approach rules about safety. Researchers found teens are half as likely to crash and far less likely to drink and drive, use a cell phone, or speed if their parents set clear rules, pay attention to where they’re going, who they’ll be with, and when they’ll be home in a supportive way. In addition, the researchers found that teens who reported being the main driver of a car were twice as likely to have been in a crash than teens who said they share a car with other family members.
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May 31, 2009
PA House Bill 67, which would restrict teens with junior licenses from using wireless devices and require 10 additional hours of nighttime driving practice before receiving an unrestricted license, is poised to be passed in the state legislature. Suzanne Hill, CIRP's director of Advocacy and Outreach, explains how limiting distractions and increasing driving practice has been proven to help protect teens and their passengers.
Read the full article in the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal
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May 27, 2009
The summer season brings an estimated 3 million children under the age of 15 into emergency rooms due to unintentional injuries from motor vehicle crashes, water-related accidents, pedestrian accidents, falls, dog bites and bicycle, skateboard and rollerblade incidents. To help parents deal with kids’ injuries in the summer and year-round, a team of CHOP behavioral researchers, trauma surgeons and trauma nurses launched a new website today – www.AfterTheInjury.org. This comprehensive, free resource was developed to help parents help their kids achieve a full physical and emotional recovery. The new site includes expert advice on everything from how to handle a hospital visit, cast care, and pain management to what to do if a child is having nightmares after an accident. Parents can download tip sheets, watch video, and create a personalized care plan to share with their child' s doctor.
Read the press release
Read more about the founding research
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May 23, 2009
Kenneth R. Ginsburg, MD, an Adolescent Medicine expert at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention, explains the dangerous role of inexperience and distractions in newly-licensed teen drivers and ways parents can help their teens become safe drivers.
Read the full article on MSN.com
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February 1, 2009
Results of the first large-scale study on child restraint use and injury risk among children with special needs likely to affect behavior (i.e. autism and developmental delays) were released today in the journal Pediatrics. Researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that children with special needs likely to affect behavior were more likely to be appropriately restrained in motor vehicles as compared to children with no special needs. Even so, this group of special needs children has a similar risk of injury compared to children without these conditions.
Read the Press release
2008
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November 3, 2008
Unlicensed teen drivers are over-represented in fatal crashes, according to federal crash data. CHOP and State Farm took a closer look at this group and found unlicensed teens are more likely to drive without a seat belt, under the influence, and without a purpose. Additional insights, including which teens are most at risk and how to help them, are published today in the journal Pediatrics.
Read the press release
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September 22, 2008
According to data collected by CHOP and State Farm's Partners for Child Passenger Safety Study, from 1999 to 2007, researchers noted that overall child restraint use increased from 51 % to 80% among children younger tha 9. During this same period, restraint use among 4- to 8-year-olds, including booster seats, has quadrupled- from 15% to 63%.
Read the press release
Download the full report
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May 5, 2008
In a study released today in the journal Pediatrics, more than 5,000 teens identified the factors they perceived as most important in a safe driving situation and then estimated how often they see their peers exhibit these behaviors. Their answers revealed important gaps in teens’ understanding of factors that can lead to crashes.
Read the press release
Download an audio news release
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May 5, 2008
A study released today in the journal Pediatrics confirms that properly restraining children in the the rear of the car in the appropriate car seat for their height and weight reduces their risk of injury to less than 1 percent. According to the researchers placing children restrained in the center rear seat offers a small protective benefit compared to outboard seating positions.
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March 3, 2008
Older child passengers, ages 12 to 17, are more likely to die in a car crash than younger children, according to a study released today in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. This risk increases with each teenage year. The study offers evidence-based guidelines for parents and policymakers to help protect this vulnerable age group. Researchers advise parents to talk about safe passenger behaviors by age 12.
Read the press release and watch a video
Read the study
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February 1, 2008
The Center for Injury Research and Prevention at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is pleased to announce a $50,000 grant received today to help prevent traumatic stress in children after an injury. Researchers at the Center are working with injured children and their families to develop effective screening tools and interventions that can be integrated into hospital trauma care.
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January 16, 2008
New research from CHOP and State Farm shows that distributing car safety seats among economically disadvantaged children could be as cost-effective as long-established federal vaccination programs. The research, published this week in the journal Ambulatory Pediatrics, offers insights for state and national lawmakers involved in setting future healthcare policy, particularly for those interested in exploring programs with a greater focus on preventive care for children.
2007
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October 15, 2007
As part of the first-ever National Teen Driver Safety Week, teens from across the country are meeting in Washington, DC to talk about real solutions that can change driving behaviors and help save lives.
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September 24, 2007
Among Latino children, 4-8 year-olds are the most likely to be injured in a crash, according to the 2007 Partners for Child Passenger Safety Fact & Trend Report, recently released from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance Companies ®. The “Give a Boost” child passenger safety program features powerful bi-lingual education tools for parents and coupons for discounted car seats at Babies “R” Us ® stores. The Web site for parents and educators, www.chop.edu/asientosinfantiles offers bi-lingual instructional videos and expanded information on choosing and installing the right car seat or booster seat for children of any age.
Read the 2007 Fact & Trend Report 
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September 18, 2007
Flaura Koplin-Winston, MD, PhD, founder and co-scientific director of the Injury Center, was honored earlier this year by The Joint Commission for pioneering advances in pediatric crash injury.
Read an interview with Dr. Winston
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June 14, 2007
A study released this week from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm® found that while children driven by teens are twice as likely to suffer crash injury as those driven by adults, their risk is 40 percent lower if the teenaged driver is their older brother or sister. The research, published this week in the journal Injury Prevention, may offer insights for parents, as well as for state lawmakers involved in setting standards for graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws for young drivers.
Read the study abstract 
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June 6, 2007
Congressman Charlie Dent (R- PA) and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) joined with over 50 co-sponsors today to introduce a bipartisan resolution in Congress that would establish the third week in October as National Teen Driver Safety Week.
The introduction of the resolution follows several tragic and highly- publicized accidents involving Pennsylvania high school students. In 2005, 7,500 drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 years were involved in fatal crashes throughout the United States; of these, 221 occurred in Pennsylvania. The majority of these crashes can be attributed to inexperience and driver error -- such as failure to detect and react to hazards, non-use of seat belts, or speeding. Alcohol was a factor in less than half of these fatal accidents.
Learn more about
National Teen Driver Safety Week
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March 5, 2007
A study released today by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm® found that children aged 4 to 8 years are far more likely to be restrained in age-appropriate restraints, such as car seats and booster seats, if their state law requires booster seat use for their age group. A different study from the collaboration between Children’s Hospital and State Farm also found that young teens, aged 13 to 15, are more likely to use seat belts if their state has primary enforcement of the seat belt law. The results of both studies are highlighted in the third CPS Issue Report from CHOP and State Farm.
Read the report
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January 25, 2007
In a new national survey released January 25th, 5,665 high school students reveal what is happening in their cars that makes them unsafe. With these results, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance Companies announce the launch of a multi-disciplinary research and comprehensive outreach and education initiative.
Read the report
2006
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December 5, 2006
A study released this week from researchers at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that parents with a high school education or less are among the least likely to use appropriate child restraints, suggesting that current public education campaigns aimed at increasing car seat use may need to be better tailored to these families at highest risk for crash injury.
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October 24, 2006
The second annual Partners for Child Passenger Safety Fact & Trend Report from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance Companies reveals a fact every parent should know: As children grow older, their risk of injury in a motor vehicle crash increases significantly, due in large part to improper child restraint after age 3. Researchers at CHOP looked at the world's largest database of children in crashes and determined that 46 percent of 4 to 8 year olds are improperly restrained in the car, making them three times as likely to be injured as their younger siblings ages 3 and younger.
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June 21, 2006
Researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Center for Injury Research and Prevention are optimistic that there are effective ways to reduce crash and injury risk for young novice drivers. Today, they released the results of a nine-month-long scientific review by an international interdisciplinary Expert Panel to characterize the epidemic of teen-driver-related crash and injury risk and set the agenda for action. Recommendations are detailed in a special supplement called "The Science of Safe Driving Among Adolescents" in the June issue of Injury Prevention.
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June 5, 2006
A new study has found that children placed in child restraints were 28 percent less likely to be killed in a crash than children who were wearing seat belts alone. Published today in The Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, the research from the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia studied children aged two through six involved in serious motor vehicle crashes.
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Jan. 3, 2006
New research from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia shows that children riding in SUVs have similar injury risks to children who ride in passenger cars. The study, published Jan. 3, 2006 in the journal Pediatrics, found that an SUV's increased risk of rolling over during a crash offsets the safety benefits associated with larger, heavier-weight vehicles.
2005
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November 7, 2005
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October 25, 2005
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October 19, 2005
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September 13, 2005
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August 8, 2005
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May 2, 2005
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February 3, 2005
2004
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December 15, 2004
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May 3, 2004
2003
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June 3, 2003
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April 8, 2003
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February 7, 2003
2002
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October 20, 2002
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October 10, 2002
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September 12, 2002
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June 3, 2002
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May 2, 2002
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March 5, 2002
2001
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December 3, 2001
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July 5, 2001
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April 24, 2001
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April 18, 2001
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March 29, 2001
