Study shows kids can unbuckle car seat restraints

The results from a new study conducted by Yale University’s pediatrics department may change the way parents buy car seats for their children. It seems that young children have sufficient motor skills to unbuckle themselves, before they understand the importance of automotive restraints.

For the purpose of the study, 100 surveys were distributed to parents of children under six, to determine at what age they first unbuckled themselves and if the vehicle was moving at the time.

It turns out that 75% of the little escape artists were aged 3 and under. Of that number, 43% were in a moving vehicle and 29% were held in place by a 5-point anchoring system.

The study also found that boys are much more inclined to unbuckle themselves than girls. The youngest to free himself did so at the tender age of 12 months, while the oldest was six and a half.

Thankfully, most parents said they stopped the car, reprimanded the child and buckled him or her back in.

According to Lilia Reyes, clinical fellow of pediatrics at Yale, “the study elucidates a potential safety hazard in child motor vehicle restraint that needs to be addressed”.


_{Source : Futurity}