Parents and caregivers of children are 43 percent more likely to put children in car booster seats once they learn how important booster seats are to child safety and how easy they are to use, according to a new study released today by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

The research also found that when booster seats are distributed free of charge and distribution is combined with information about their use and effectiveness, parents and caregivers are more than twice as likely to use car booster seats than they normally would.

Unfortunately, booster seat usage averages 37 percent nationwide. Many children are put at risk when they are improperly restrained by a seat belt intended for an adult or older child and the booster seat phase is skipped.

Each year more than 400 children aged four to eight are killed in traffic crashes and another 70,000 are injured, according to the AAA Foundation. Child booster seats are designed for children approximately four to eight years old, and when properly used with lap and shoulder belts, they can reduce serious injury by 60 percent.

The AAA Foundation initiated the study to determine which of the many approaches are most effective at encouraging caregivers to put children in booster seats.

The Foundation commissioned researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to undertake a systematic review of studies that had evaluated interventions aimed at increasing booster seat use. This first-of-its-kind Cochrane Review study led by Dr. John Ehiri, Associate Professor in the UAB School of Public Health, confirmed that three approaches work best: 1) education, 2) education in conjunction with giveaway programs and 3) education with incentive programs, such as a discount coupon to purchase a booster seat.

According to AAA, the FoundationТs findings about the importance of an education component increasing booster seat usage have significant implications for state policymakers. AAA says it is crucial to pass booster seat legislation and connect it with educational and outreach components such as car seat clinics.

УParents often look to state laws for guidance in traffic safety issues,Ф said Susan Pikrallidas, vice president, AAA Public Affairs. УSince the launch of our child passenger safety initiative in 2002, AAA has led the effort to pass booster seat laws in 34 states and D.C., however; only sixteen of those states include an educational component in their law.Ф

To provide incentives for parents to use booster seats, AAA announced today it is distributing 75,000 coupons from Babies СR Us that offer a $10 discount on any booster seat over $40. The coupons are available at most AAA club offices and are valid through April at any Babies СR Us retail location. The coupons are attached to a flyer available in both English and Spanish that includes correct steps for child occupant protection until the child is tall enough to use the adult seat belt by itself.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is an independent, publicly funded, 501 (c)(3) charitable research and educational organization established in 1947 by AAA. The AAA FoundationТs mission is to prevent traffic deaths and injuries by conducting research into their causes and by educating the public about strategies to prevent crashes and reduce the impact when they do occur. УEffects of Interventions to Increase Use of Booster Seats in Motor Vehicles for 4-8 Year OldsФ along with all AAA Foundation reports are available on-line at www.aaafoundation.org.

As North AmericaТs largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 48 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.