Study: Grandkids Are Safer With Grandparents At The Wheel
By Alice Shaw / Contributing Writer
Do you think a child is safer with a parent at the wheel or a grandparent? The answer most young people would give — a parent — believe it or not is wrong.
According to a study by a group of researchers connected with the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, children are less likely to be injured if grandpa or grandma is at the wheel.
In the study, which covered children from four to eight years of age, grandparents represented nearly 10 percent of drivers involved in crashes where children were passengers. The risk of child injury for grandparent drivers was significantly lower than that for parent drivers, the researchers found, despite the fact that the grandparents did not use the “best” child restraints available.
With respect to restraints, the study found that nearly all children (98%) were found to be restrained at the time of the crash with grandparent drivers, compared to 98.7% for parent drivers. However, the study said that grandparents more often than not did not use restraints that were the best on the market.
If grandparents need to do anything, the study said, it is to use the most up-to-date restraints. The study also showed that 20% of both parent drivers and grandparent drivers made the mistake of putting young children in the front seat. The back seat is safer.
The study noted that grandparents tended to drive more passenger cars and pickup trucks and fewer sport utility vehicles and minivans. This makes the outcome of the study all the more surprising because passenger cars and pickup trucks are known to result in higher rates of crash injury to children.
For the nearly five-year period covered by the study, the researchers said, the number of children involved in crashes with parent drivers was 217,976, of which 2,293 were injured (1.05%). Compare that with 22,921 driven by grandparents, of which 161 children were injured (0.70%). Thus, the researchers said, the risk of child injury was 33% lower when grandparents were driving.
The researchers said the results of this study suggest that there are some unaccounted for protective grandparent driving-style characteristics.
They said: “Extensive literature suggests that as a group, they (grandparents) are more risk adverse than younger drivers but suffer from perceptual deficiencies and problems judging and responding from traffic flow. Perhaps grandparents are more nervous about the task of driving with the ‘precious cargo’ of their grandchildren and establish more cautious driving habits to offset these challenges.”
The researchers said “future studies should explore the differences in parent vs. grandparent driving styles.”
By Alice Shaw / Contributing Writer
Do you think a child is safer with a parent at the wheel or a grandparent? The answer most young people would give — a parent — believe it or not is wrong.
According to a study by a group of researchers connected with the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, children are less likely to be injured if grandpa or grandma is at the wheel.
In the study, which covered children from four to eight years of age, grandparents represented nearly 10 percent of drivers involved in crashes where children were passengers. The risk of child injury for grandparent drivers was significantly lower than that for parent drivers, the researchers found, despite the fact that the grandparents did not use the “best” child restraints available.
With respect to restraints, the study found that nearly all children (98%) were found to be restrained at the time of the crash with grandparent drivers, compared to 98.7% for parent drivers. However, the study said that grandparents more often than not did not use restraints that were the best on the market.
If grandparents need to do anything, the study said, it is to use the most up-to-date restraints. The study also showed that 20% of both parent drivers and grandparent drivers made the mistake of putting young children in the front seat. The back seat is safer.
The study noted that grandparents tended to drive more passenger cars and pickup trucks and fewer sport utility vehicles and minivans. This makes the outcome of the study all the more surprising because passenger cars and pickup trucks are known to result in higher rates of crash injury to children.
For the nearly five-year period covered by the study, the researchers said, the number of children involved in crashes with parent drivers was 217,976, of which 2,293 were injured (1.05%). Compare that with 22,921 driven by grandparents, of which 161 children were injured (0.70%). Thus, the researchers said, the risk of child injury was 33% lower when grandparents were driving.
The researchers said the results of this study suggest that there are some unaccounted for protective grandparent driving-style characteristics.
They said: “Extensive literature suggests that as a group, they (grandparents) are more risk adverse than younger drivers but suffer from perceptual deficiencies and problems judging and responding from traffic flow. Perhaps grandparents are more nervous about the task of driving with the ‘precious cargo’ of their grandchildren and establish more cautious driving habits to offset these challenges.”
The researchers said “future studies should explore the differences in parent vs. grandparent driving styles.”
