Objective To investigate the use of child restraint system (CRS) and children′ riding behavior in Shanghai Huangpu district. Method A total of five kindergartens, one pediatric hospital and four shopping malls were investigated by field observation from April to June 2017. Results Only 40 of 838 children used CRS,and the CRS usage rate was 4.8%.Also, 69.2% (580/838) of children sat in the back row of the car without any restraint system, and 21.1% (177/838) of children were hugged by parents.57 (6.8%) children were in the passenger seat, of which 9 were held by their parents.The CRS usage rates in different observation sites were significantly different (χ²=723.518,P<0.001),while the CRS usage rates at hospital was the lowest (3.3%,14/422).The usage rate of CRS in SUV was 7.5% (14/187),which was significantly higher than other types of vehicles(χ ²=79.502,P<0.001).The CRS usage rate in cars with one passenger was significantly higher than that in cars with more passengers(χ²=15.032,P<0.001). Conclusions The CRS usage rate was low in Huangpu district.It is suggested to take effective measures to improve parents′correct cognition of child riding safety, so as to popularize the correct use of CRS.