The Florida Nurse - May 2022
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<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Nurse</strong> Page 19<br />
<strong>Florida</strong> Pediatric Motor Vehicle Safety<br />
Mary Katherine Hayes & Marc Rosales<br />
Mary Katherine Hayes, BSN, RN<br />
Mrs. Hayes is a Registered <strong>Nurse</strong> at a level one<br />
trauma center in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.<br />
She is a Pediatric Advanced Life Support instructor<br />
and has presented locally on pediatrics and inpatient<br />
care topics. She is completing a Master’s in Pediatric<br />
Health Nursing with a certificate in Nursing<br />
Education.<br />
Marc Rosales, DNP, MBA/HCM, RN, CCRN,<br />
CNE, CHSE<br />
Dr. Marc Rosales is an Assistant Professor at<br />
the USF College of Nursing. He holds specialty<br />
certifications as a Critical Care <strong>Nurse</strong>, Certified<br />
<strong>Nurse</strong> Educator, & Certified Healthcare<br />
Simulation Educator. Dr. Rosales has presented<br />
locally, nationally, and internationally on teaching<br />
innovations and quality & safety topics.<br />
Children die daily in car accidents due to a lack of proper car seat or seatbelt<br />
use, and even more are seriously injured. This continues to be a national<br />
issue affecting families throughout the United States (Centers for Disease<br />
Control and Prevention, 2021). Laws for child safety in motor vehicles vary<br />
with each state. Still, those with stronger restraint laws for children can<br />
decrease child death and injury statistics in vehicle accidents through revisions<br />
of Fla. Stat. § 316.613 with recommendations from globally recognized<br />
organizations.<br />
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),<br />
motor vehicle crashes continue to be a leading cause of death for children<br />
nationwide. <strong>The</strong> data in 2019 shows that 608 children died from motor vehicle<br />
crashes, and over 91,000 were injured (Centers for Disease Control and<br />
Prevention, 2021). A major contributing factor to child death and injury is the<br />
lack of proper car safety seats and seat-belts. According to the data discovered<br />
by Park et al. (2018), car seat and seat-belt use can reduce death and serious<br />
injury for infants by 71%, toddlers by 54%, and children in booster seats by<br />
45% (Park et al., 2018). <strong>The</strong> CDC found that through adopting strong evidencebased<br />
child restraint laws, children are less likely to die in car crashes and are<br />
more likely to use appropriate seat-belts (Centers for Disease Control and<br />
Prevention, 2021).<br />
<strong>The</strong> current 2021 <strong>Florida</strong> Statutes address child restraint requirements<br />
in motor vehicles specifically for children through the age of three years,<br />
with particular requirements for children ages four through five years. <strong>The</strong><br />
current laws do not address the proven need for rear-facing seats for children<br />
beyond five years of age and proper measures to ensure safety (Child restraint<br />
requirements, 1983/2021). <strong>The</strong> American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)<br />
recommends the following five best-practice, evidence-based steps:<br />
1. Rear-facing car seats should be used as long as possible<br />
2. Children should be in a forward-facing car seat once they have outgrown<br />
a rear-facing car seat through at least four years of age<br />
3. Booster seats to aid with proper seat-belt positions should be used until<br />
the age of eight years<br />
4. Seat-belts covering the lap and shoulders should be used for everyone<br />
who has outgrown booster seats<br />
5. Everyone younger than 13 years of age should only ride in the rear seats<br />
of vehicles (Durbin et al., 2018)<br />
By revising Fla. Stat. § 316.613 to reflect recommendations proven effective<br />
by the AAP and referred to by the CDC, child fatalities and devastating injury<br />
from motor vehicle crashes can be reduced and prevented. Fla. Stat. § 316.613<br />
should reflect the AAP recommendations that all children under the age of four<br />
and 40 pounds or less must be in a separate rear-facing car seat. Fla. Stat. §<br />
316.613 should also include that all children under the age of eight and four<br />
feet nine inches or less must be in a booster seat. Finally, Fla. Stat. § 316.613<br />
should include that all children under the age of 13 must be seated in the<br />
rear seats of motor vehicles (Durbin et al., 2018). We encourage all nurses<br />
to advocate for implementing these evidence-based, best practice proposals<br />
in the state of <strong>Florida</strong> so pediatric injury and death in motor vehicles can be<br />
reduced.<br />
References<br />
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, September 20). Child<br />
passenger safety: Get the facts. Transportation safety. https://www.cdc.gov/<br />
transportationsafety/child_passenger_safety/cps-factsheet.html<br />
Child restraint requirements Fla. Stat. § 316.613 (1983 & rev. 2021). http://www.<br />
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_<br />
String=motor%20vehicle%20safety&URL=0300-0399/0316/Sections/0316.613.<br />
html<br />
Durbin, D. R., Hoffman, B. D., & AAP Council on Injury, Violence, and Poison<br />
Prevention. (2018). Child passenger safety. Pediatrics, 142(5), 1–8. https://doi.<br />
org/10.1542/peds.2018-2461<br />
Park, G., Ro, Y., Shin, S., Song, K., Hong, K., & Jeong, J. (2018). Preventive effects of<br />
car safety seat use on clinical outcomes in infants and young children with road<br />
traffic injuries: A 7-year observational study. Injury, 49(6), 1097–1103. https://doi.<br />
org/10.1016/j.injury.2018.04.001<br />
Join Our Team of Nursing Educators<br />
We are searching for engaging, passionate, Nursing professionals to join Miami Dade<br />
College’s Nursing Department. Be a part of our expanding nursing programs and share<br />
your expertise and industry experience with students who are aspiring to achieve their<br />
goals! As a Faculty member you will assist students in achieving their nursing objectives<br />
on an individual and group basis in clinical and college laboratories.<br />
Individuals with clinical practice experience in medical/surgical, community, public<br />
health, or mental health nursing are encouraged to apply.<br />
Medical Campus<br />
• Faculty, Nursing (LPN Program)<br />
• Faculty, Nursing (Generic)<br />
Homestead Campus<br />
• Faculty, Nursing (Generic)<br />
Minimum Requirements<br />
• Master’s degree in Nursing from an accredited institution<br />
• <strong>Florida</strong> registered nursing licensure (active)<br />
• Two (2) years equivalent full-time clinical practice experience as a Registered <strong>Nurse</strong>.<br />
To learn more about these and other positions at Miami Dade College<br />
visit us at www.mdc.edu/jobs.<br />
Miami Dade College is an equal access/equal opportunity institution which does not<br />
discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, marital status, age, religion, national origin,<br />
disability, veteran’s status, ethnicity, pregnancy, sexual orientation or genetic information.<br />
Additional information may be obtained by contacting the College’s Equity Officer: Dr. Joy C.<br />
Ruff, at (305) 237-2577 (Voice) or 711 (Relay Service). jruff@mdc.edu
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