ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 18 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers said Tuesday that parents think their children use bicycle helmets and seatbelts more often than children say they use them.
Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 731 fourth and fifth grade pupils and 329 of their parents. They found although 70 percent of parents said their children always wore a bicycle helmet while riding, only 51 percent of the children reported doing so. One-fifth of the children said they never wear a helmet, while only 4 percent of parents said their children never use one.
Vehicle safety practices had similar discrepancies, the researchers said. Parents said their children use seatbelts 92 percent of the time, but the children reported using them only 70 percent of the time. Also, although 80 percent of parents said their children always sit in the vehicle's back seat, only 43 percent of children said they always sit in back.
