Abstract: A knee restraint for the interior passenger compartment of a vehicle which deploys upon sudden deceleration such as vehicle impact. The knee restraint system acts as a passive restraint for the lower part of the passengers' body to restrain forward movement. The restraint system includes independent restraint pads which normally form a portion of the dashboard. Spring-biased linkages extend the restraint pads into the passenger compartment closer to the occupant. An inertia latch prevents deployment until a predetermined rate of deceleration is reached. One embodiment of the restraint system incorporates the glove box.