Do you realize that 4 out of 5 child safety seats are used incorrectly?  According to the Adams County Health Department children under age two are especially at-risk for serious injury or death in a traffic crash if they ride forward-facing before they are ready.

To help raise awareness of the recent changes to the Illinois Child Passenger Protection Act requiring all children to ride rear-facing until age two, Safe Kids Adams County and Central Fire Station announced it will conduct a car seat check event on Saturday, September 22, as part of National Child Passenger Safety Week which runs from September 23 through 29.

Safe Kids Adams County and Central Fire Station will have certified child passenger safety (CPS) technicians on hand at Central Fire Station on September 22 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon to check car seats and educate parents on appropriate selection and installation. Educational materials will be provided at the event.

To view materials online or to learn more about Illinois’ Child Passenger Safety program, visit www.buckleuplinois.org.   This event is one of over 90 in Illinois sponsored by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Here are the details of the new Illinois law beginning January 1, 2019:

Children under the age of two (2) must ride rear-facing.

Children under the age of eight (8) must be secured in an appropriate child restraint system (car seat/booster seat).

An appropriate system:

  • fits the child;
  • fits the vehicle;
  • and is used according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.

The child restraint must be provided by parent or legal guardian.

Every person transporting a child under age eight (8) is responsible for properly securing the child in the vehicle.

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