The shoulder pad (30) is positioned on the shoulder strap (24) with the thinner projections (40 and 42) in contact with the shoulder of the child (28) and the thicker projections (46, 48 and 50) in contact with the child's chest. In an initial phase of an accident, the friction provided by these relatively thin projections is insufficient to prevent the child's torso from bending forward, thereby reducing the load on the child's neck. During a subsequent phase of the accident, the thicker projections (46, 48 and 50) reach child's shoulder.