DESIGN AND EFFECT OF CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEMS IN VEHICLES

This paper presents theoretical considerations and investigations concerning child restraint systems in vehicles. The major emphasis of the paper is on factors related to the handling qualities ofdifferent types of child restraint systems. Rearward facing seats were found to give the child the best protection while also offering good contact with and supervision of the child. Problems assumed to exist in connection with this type of seat such as carsickness and the child‘s difficulty in seeing out were found to be rare, although genera] problems in connection with all types of restraints were observed and investigated. Rearward facing seats were found to be both practical and usable in Sweden according to questionnaire data from 1,5T5 parents collected in 1976. The ‘third generation’ of these seats is now being marketed in Sweden, and over 300 U00 rearward facing seats have been sold to date. © 1978 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.