Noncrash motor vehicle accidents. Injuries to children in the vehicle interior

P. F. Agran, D. E. Dunkle and D. Winn

Injuries caused by hitting against the vehicle interior during a noncrash motor vehicle accident are noteworthy. Data on children 0 to 15 years of age involved in motor vehicle accidents were obtained from an ongoing multihospital monitoring system. Approximately 12% of the passengers were injured in a noncrash accident. One half of the noncrash injuries were caused by a child hitting against the vehicle interior during a sudden stop, turn, or swerve or after losing balance in a moving vehicle. Most of these accidents involved a child between 1 and 4 years of age who was traveling in the front passenger seat unrestrained. While most of the injuries were minor, some children sustained serious injuries. An analysis of the cases indicated that most of these injuries could have been avoided if the child had been restrained. Medical costs as well as use of medical resources could have been saved by preventing these noncrash injuries.