This paper reports on how front seat occupants sit in cars relative to the Bpillar and cant rail. Car occupants were filmed unobtrusively in the United States (U.S.) and the United Kingdom (U.K.). The results showed that 10.9% of drivers in the U.S., 2.9% of passengers in the U.S., and 7.2% of U.K. passengers had the top of the head level with or above the level of the cant rail. In addition, it was found that 42% of U.K. front seat passengers, 27.5% of U.S. front seat passengers, and 18% of U.S. drivers sit with their shoulder in line with or rearward of the B-pillar. The findings of this study clearly have implications for occupant safety in a side impact, and give support to an advanced restraint approach to side impact protection.