Child Advanced Safety Project for European Roads (CASPER): better knowledge and better tools to improve the real protection of children in cars

This paper is a synthesis of the results obtained in the different parts of the EC CASPER project and considers sociological approaches, technical works, and field and accident data. From parent's behaviour and wishes that show cultural differences, to human modelling works, this project widely covers the topic of child safety in cars. The CASPER project has brought a significant amount of field data that have been useful for a better understanding of the situation and used as basis for all the other tasks of the project. Consequent steps forward have been made in the development and improvement of tools usable for the approval of Child Restraint Systems (CRS) and in this aim a large collaboration with the GRSP Informal Group on CRS took place. Results have been presented and discussed in workshops with main participants and stakeholders of the child safety area.