In France, the improvement of the child protection in cars has been one main concern since 1975. It sets a quite specific problem dealling with physical and psychological factors.

This paper will give an overview of the actual situation. The accident statistics and investigations recall the benefits of the back seat travel for the children under ten years old. Moreover two surveys aiming at describing the real conditions in which the child is travelling in the car and the restraint system is used, are analysed. They indicate the very low use rate of child restraints especially for eldest as well as the parents appreciations on these child restraints.

These elements are discussed in order to propose future efforts which contribute to the improvement of the child occupant’s safety.