By Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – There are still chances to get your car into one of the dozens of free events going on this week to ensure your car seat is properly installed.
This week is National Child Passenger Safety Week and state officials are doing what they can to prevent the No. 1 cause of death for young children in Illinois: Car crashes.
The state will be hosting dozens of car seat safety checks, including 50 on Saturday.
“State law requires children under 8-years-old to be secured in the appropriate safety seat and that children remain in rear-facing safety seats until they are 2-years-old, unless they weigh more than 40 pounds or are more than 40 inches tall,” Illinois Secretary of Secretary Jesse White said. “My goal is to make sure our roads are as safe as possible. We can do that by ensuring our children are secured in properly-installed safety seats and that we set a good example as adults by always wearing our safety belts.”
White joined with Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson and officials from the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and others to bring awareness to the issue and upcoming safety events.
The Secretary of State’s office provides car seat inspections at 10 Driver Services facilities throughout the state. Many fire stations will have personnel available to inspect car seats to ensure they’re properly installed.
Assistant Deputy Director David Byrd said state laws about car seats changed in Illinois as of this January.
“The Illinois Child Passenger Protection Act requires every driver transporting a child under the age of eight to properly secure the child in an appropriate child restraint system,” he said. “All children under the age of two are required to be secured in a rear-facing child restraint system.”
Information on the events can be found at buckleupillinois.org.
Forty-six percent of car seats and booster seats are not used properly, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Illinois Radio Network can be reached at [email protected].
