Factors influencing the use of infant car restraints

Over a six-week period 100 mothers in Dunedin, New Zealand obtained General Motors infant car seats from a rental scheme. In interviews conducted in the maternity hospital, before the seats had been used, the mother's perceptions of the comfort and ease of use of the seat were recorded. All mothers rated the seats as very safe. From details of 2,830 car trips undertaken by these mothers while their infants were 0-3 months old and from a further 687 journeys by 85 of those mothers when their infants were 4-6 months old we found that an infant car seat was used for only 72% of journeys with the younger infant compared to 91% of journeys with the older infant. Those mothers who had rated the seat--before ever using it--as appearing uncomfortable or difficult to use were less likely to make use of it. The seat was least likely to be used when the mother was going out for more than two hours in the evening for some purpose that involved only a short car journey.