Car Crash Study: Are Children Safer With Their Grandparents?

Do you worry about Florida car accidents when your child is travelling with Grandma or Grandpa? New research shows that a child might actually be safer when travelling with a grandparent.
 
Researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have completed a study comparing parent and grandparent drivers. The results: children may be safer in a car driven by a grandparent instead of a parent.
 
The scientists examined insurance-claims data from State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. involving children age 15 and younger in 15 states and the District of Columbia from 2003 to 2007. For each accident, they noted whether a grandparent or parent was driving, the severity of the crash and the use of seat belts and car seats.
 
The researchers found that children were about twice as likely to be injured in a FL crash when a parent was behind the wheel compared to crashes where a grandparent was driving. The injury rate, calculated per 100 child occupants, was 0.7% for grandparents and 1.05% for parents.
 
The authors of the study were surprised with this result because statistically older drivers are more likely to be involved in an accident than younger drivers.  The researchers postulated that grandparents take more care when driving grandchildren.  They drive slower and are more likely to obey traffic laws.
 
Regardless of whether a parent or grandparent is driving, children should be properly restrained in a safety seat.  For more information about child safety, read West Palm Beach accident attorney Craig Goldenfarb's article: "Florida Car Seat Law: What You Need to Know to Keep Your Child Safe."