Children Safety Devices in Brazil—Why Do People Don’t Use Them after the Law?

Abstract

Introduction: Children safety car devices decrease injuries and death in children. A survey conducted in Brazil in 2009 revealed that only 36.1% of children safely transported. In 2010, a Brazilian law was implemented, obligating the use of safety devices. The aim of this study is to evaluate the use of such devices after the law and the eventual reasons for non-use. Methods: A significant sample of Brazilian population aged 18 years or more, which normally carry children until 10 years old answered a survey between August 16 and 25, 2012. The study was conducted in two phases. The first one aimed to raise the proportion and profile of the target population, while the second investigated the children car safety device use (or not). Results: 622 interviews. Children’s transporters are young males (57%), living in a metropolitan area in the South region, concerned about safety and law supervision, with greater education level and income than non-transporters (31%) who are male with lack of information, living in a non-metropolitan area of the Northeast region that would be motivated to use the device by effective law fiscalization or threat of an accident. Conclusion: Two years after the law it is observed that education, income, age, gender and region of origin influence the use/non-use of the safety seats in Brazil. The accident threat and fiscalization are the main reasons for using the device, showing that the lack of information impairs the democratization of its use and the prevention culture has to be enhanced in the country.