Walter R S, Kuo A R
Department of Pediatrics, Alfred I. duPont Institute, Wilmington, Del. 19899.
Am J Dis Child. 1993 May;147(5):561-4. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1993.02160290067028.
For young urban families who may not own a car, taxicabs are a common mode of transportation. We surveyed the frequency of taxicab use involving children younger than age 4 years in a Baltimore, Md, clinic population and studied pediatric occupant safety issues, including taxicab child restraint law exemptions, taxicab occupant morbidity/mortality data, and taxicab child restraint device availability. In our inner-city clinic, 84 (78%) of 108 families reported that they did not own a car and 64 (76%) of those without cars rode with their small children in taxicabs at least monthly (n = 28), weekly (n = 27), or daily (n = 9), all without child restraints. Thirty-five of 50 states (70%) plus Washington, DC, exempt taxicabs from child restraint laws. Only 11 (27%) of 41 states with safety belt laws exempt taxicabs. There were 106 reported taxicab occupant fatalities from 1986 to 1990 in the United States, including 11 children and adolescents. National and state data on motor vehicle occupant morbidity do not separately examine taxicabs. Individual taxicab fleets we contacted would not release injury data. Of 50 urban taxicab fleets in four states (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania), only three (6%) offered child restraint devices by advance telephone request. There was no difference in availability based on state taxicab exemptions from child restraint laws. We conclude that taxicab use involving young children is common in this inner-city population. Data on taxicab occupant injuries are needed. Child restraint law exemptions for taxicabs should be eliminated. Education about, and enforcement of, child restraint laws for taxicabs is needed. Recent local legislation linking child restraint device availability to taxicab licensure should be encouraged.
对于可能没有汽车的年轻城市家庭来说，出租车是一种常见的交通方式。我们调查了马里兰州巴尔的摩一家诊所中4岁以下儿童乘坐出租车的频率，并研究了儿童乘客安全问题，包括出租车儿童约束法律豁免情况、出租车乘客发病率/死亡率数据以及出租车儿童约束装置的可用性。在我们位于市中心的诊所，108个家庭中有84个（78%）报告称他们没有汽车，其中64个（76%）没有汽车的家庭至少每月（n = 28）、每周（n = 27）或每天（n = 9）带着他们的小孩乘坐出租车，而且都没有使用儿童约束装置。50个州中的35个（70%）加上华盛顿特区，豁免出租车遵守儿童约束法律。在有安全带法律的41个州中，只有11个（27%）豁免出租车。1986年至1990年期间，美国报告有106起出租车乘客死亡事件，其中包括11名儿童和青少年。国家和州关于机动车乘客发病率的数据并未单独对出租车进行调查。我们联系的各个出租车车队都不愿公布受伤数据。在特拉华州、马里兰州、新泽西州和宾夕法尼亚州的50个城市出租车车队中，只有三个（6%）接受提前电话预订提供儿童约束装置。根据州出租车儿童约束法律豁免情况，装置的可用性没有差异。我们得出结论，在这个市中心人群中，涉及幼儿乘坐出租车的情况很常见。需要有关出租车乘客受伤的数据。应该取消出租车的儿童约束法律豁免。需要对出租车儿童约束法律进行宣传和执法。应鼓励最近将儿童约束装置可用性与出租车执照挂钩的地方立法。
