Child Passenger Restraint Survey

Since 1985, Iowa has had a law requiring all young children riding in motor vehicles to be properly restrained by child seats, booster seats, and/or seat belts. In 2004 and again in 2009, the Iowa Legislature revised the requirements of the child passenger safety law. To measure compliance with these laws and to direct educational efforts, observational child restraint usage surveys have been conducted annually since 1988 through the Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB).

The GTSB contracted with The University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center (UI IPRC) to conduct these child passenger restraint surveys from 1996-2023. During this period, the IPRC team conducted annual surveys in 36 communities of varying sizes across the state. These surveys led to an annual report and infographics that allow for various longitudinal and cross-sectional comparisons. These data also informed educational, outreach, and enforcement efforts statewide. View child passenger survey report and infographics from recent years at the following links:

           Annual Reports: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018

           Infographics: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020

Contact us if you would like to request additional child passenger restraint publications.