This paper is a discussion of some of the more important considerations and parameters involved in child restraint system design. The success of an effective system for preventing child injury must be measured in terms of child contentment and user convenience as well as impact performance and anatomical considerations.

It is the objective of this paper to stimulate the designer of child restraint systems into a realistic reappraisal of the relative importance of the four fundamental ingredients of a successful child restraint system:​ impact performance, child contentment, convenience, and market appeal.