Restraint systems for children car passengers answer the need of posture support and guarantee safety in case of an accident. The very low use rates in France lead to investigate the difficulties encountered by parents and children related mainly to comfort and convenience aspects. The research has been set up on an ergonomic approach with 3 stages: (i) A survey in the field has been conducted to observe and question 36 users of "child seats". Among them, 40% use their restraint systems in an incorrect manner, which makes illusive their effectiveness in case of an accident. (ii) A survey based on the loan of new child restraints fixed by the car safety belt has shown that infant seats (rearward-facing) and booster cushions (for children older than 3 years) are very well appreciated. Significant comfort criteria have been brought out. (iii) An analysis of dimension characteristics revealed a few design errors (buckle load, shoulder width, ...), which were in some instances related to the results of surveys. As imperious needs of convenience justify the fixing by the safety belt of the car, it appears necessary that child restraints manufacturers and car manufacturers pay particular attention to compatibility for fixing and positioning on the bench. (A)
Abstract