In the 1981 National Vehicle Occupant Restraint Survey conducted by Transport Canada, 840 respondents who were parents of children under the age of 16 were interviewed regarding their attitudes toward and use of occupant restraints for children. The survey results indicated that parents believe it is quite important that children be properly restrainted while travelling in a vehicle and 72% favoured child restraint legislation. Of parents with children under age five, 68% reported that they had a child restraint (i.e. child seat or infant carrier). Methods of securing these child restraints were also examined with 74.9% of infant carriers, 88.9% of child seats and 90.8% of convertible seats held in place with a seat belt. While most parents apparently recognized the importance of using the seat belt to secure the child restraint, only 65.5% of the child seats and 67.4% of the convertible seats were reported to be anchored with the tether strap as required for maximum protection. The national results showed that children under age five travelled in child restraints 73% of the time while children five years and over wore seat belts only 43% of the time. The reasons for not having a child restraint, willingness to rent or borrow one and seating position (front or back) of children while travelling in the car were also included in the data. The results were analysed by sex of parent responding and the parent's education level. A discriminant function analysis revealed that parents with child restraints perceived them as more important, were more favourable towards child restraint laws and had higher income that parents without child restraints for their young children.

The results of the survey show the need for the promotion of greater child restraint use through public education, rental programs and legislation.