Parents feel pressured when making child safety choices, study says
More than 90 percent of parents are overwhelmed when researching child safety products, a study released this week asserts.
The study -- "Shifting Gears: How Becoming A Parent Changes Driving Forever" -- conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of Volvo Car USA and coinciding with Child Passenger Safety Week, said that 66 percent of parents are more stressed than last year, when that number was 57. Fifty-seven percent of parents are also more distracted than they were five years ago, up 12 percent from 2017, the study found.
The study also found that 92 percent of parents found it overwhelming to research child safety products, and that rises to 97 percent for first-time parents.
The results come from a survey that was conducted online in the United States by Harris from July 11-17, 2018. There were 1,083 parents age 18 and older who were polled, and these people had children under 18 living in their household.
Other results from the study:
- Nearly 84 percent of parents surveyed believed that people are more judgmental about the way they care for their children, as opposed to 10 years ago.
- The top concern regarding child safety involved the car seat. According to the study, 71 percent of parents found the number of models overwhelming, and 58 percent found research frustrating.
- Buyer's remorse is sometimes an issue, the study found. Once a car seat was bought, 32 percent wish they had bought a different model. That percentage increases to 41 percent among new parents and to 47 percent among millennial parents.
