Flying versus driving and child safety

A number of organizations are not happy with the FAA withdrawing the advanced notice of proposed rulemaking on child safety seats (see ASW, Sept. 12). Among those disappointed is the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), which on Sept. 27 filed a letter with the FAA expressing the AFA's "extreme disappointment" at the withdrawal action. The AFA took exception to one of the FAA's basic premises:

"The reasoning for the withdrawal ... is the same argument that the FAA has been using since 1990: that if the agency were to require the use of CRS [child restraint system] then some families would choose to drive to their destinations rather than fly. As we have stated in the past, the FAA's position is flawed because it is based on speculative assumptions. A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report regarding diversions supports AFA's concerns ... that in some cases relevant to a specific vehicle, trip, and driver types that there may be an increased risk but the risk was not specific to children under 5 years of age. The [August 2004] summary continued:

" 'In total, there does not appear to be a clearly defined relationship between diversion from air travel and highway accidents or injury. In fact, despite acknowledged differences in relative risk between road and commercial airline travel in the United States, and the largest diversion from air travel in U.S. history in recent history during recent years, road fatalities and injuries to children under 5 years old have continued to decrease.'

"In order to promote aviation safety, AFA has for many years advocated the elimination of the rule allowing children under two years of age to be the only passengers allowed to be unrestrained during takeoff, landing, movement on the surface and during flight. The FAA too must recognize the safety concern of leaving these young travelers unrestrained, otherwise they would not be strongly recommending that parents use the appropriate restraint on their child [in the airplane] based on their size and age."