Report Cards Reveal EU Policy Variance

EuroSafe and the European Child Safety Alliance June 12 released their 2012 child safety report cards, revealing inconsistencies in policy adoption across Europe. The cards (PSL, 6/11/12, p. 3) show that no country has implemented all of the organizations’ recommended safety measures and that there is little uniformity in how European countries adopt child safety regulations.

“A child dies every hour of every day in the EU as a result of an injury,” European Child Safety Alliance Director Joanne Vincenten said. “Consistent use of proven prevention strategies across the EU could save most of these lives. It would also save billions of Euros spent each year on treating injuries and would allow children and adolescents to grow up to be healthy and active contributors to future economic growth in Europe.”

Each country gets a score based on its policies and practices handling child safety issues. The maximum possible score is 60 points, and the 2012 report saw scores ranging from 14.5 points in Greece to 45 points in Finland. The report authors said the variance reveals the necessity for initiatives such as the Child Safety Report Card in order to help promote improvements in children’s safety across Europe.

In particular, the study noted that only 13 countries, 42%, have national laws requiring the use of bicycle helmets. Seven of those countries implemented bicycle helmet laws as a result of the first child safety report card.

In addition, the study noted that no country in Europe has a law requiring children to ride in rear facing child passenger restraints to age four. However, the report did say that in Sweden, where this is normal practice, child passenger deaths in the age group have been reduced to almost zero.

Other variable and inconsistent laws include regulations requiring barrier fencing for private pools, child resistant packaging of medication, and window guards. European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy John Dalli praised the initiative for its efforts, noting “I believe we must do everything we can to ensure the safety of the youngest and most vulnerable members of our society across Europe. This is why the EU Health program supports initiatives to reduce accidents and injuries…The uptake of evidenced based strategies shown in these report cards can help in improving child safety.”

The study concluded that current investment levels in child injury prevention at all national and European levels have not been commensurate with the size of the problem. “Injuries and accidents are a significant problem for children in the region and it is time governments put in place more focused interventions to address this issue,” UNICEF Regional Health Advisor for CEECIS Octavian Bivol noted in response to the findings of the report cards.

This year marks the third series of report cards. The first came out in 2007 and the second in 2009. The 2012 scores consider 115 indicators, whereas the 2009 cards looked at 102 and the 2007 at 94.

The new report, covering 31 countries, is at www.childsafetyeurope.org/publications/info/child-safety-report-cards-europe-summary-2012.pdf.