In Japan, the Road Traffic Act mandates that children below the age of six use a child restraint system, but their usage across the country remains insufficient, particularly among children aged six and above, who are not covered by the law.

With road traffic crashes the leading cause of death for children and young people worldwide, and the WHO reporting that child safety restraints can reduce deaths in crashes by up to 71%, the JAF, with support from the FIA Safe and Sustainable Mobility Grants Programme and the FIA Foundation, aimed to increase child seat usage through a nationwide survey and awareness campaign.

To tackle misconceptions and encourage behavioural change, the JAF developed a series of materials to educate parents and guardians about the importance of child seats.

Social media videos, crash tests and virtual reality simulations demonstrated the risks of non-use, while a revamped website provided tools and guidance to help parents choose the correct seat based on age, height and weight.

The JAF targeted its campaign to areas with lowest levels of compliance, with the support of influencers and healthcare professionals further reinforcing their messaging.

Central to the project was the National Child Seat Usage Survey, an annual study in collaboration with the Japanese National Police Agency, conducted between May and June 2025. Over 13,000 interviews were carried out in 99 locations across the country to assess the reach and effectiveness of the campaign.

The results from the 2025 survey demonstrated an overall increase in child seat usage of 4.2%, up to 82.5%, highlighting how increased awareness can drive usage of child seats. The JAF aims to use the latest survey results to help guide future awareness campaigns and policy improvements around child safety on the road.

Masayoshi Sakaguchi, President of the JAF, said: “With children at greatest risk of serious and fatal injuries from road traffic crashes worldwide, raising awareness about the measures parents and guardians can take to protect their lives is our utmost priority.

By providing this essential guidance and support to families across Japan, we hope to help prevent anyone from having to experience the devastating loss of a child.”