GURNEE, IL - June 28, 2010 ‑ The Gurnee Police Department has teamed up with Midwest Exchange Inc in Gurnee to recycle old and unusable child safety seats.

The Gurnee Police Department currently has a Child Passenger Safety Program with eighteen- (18) certified technicians that assist with child seat installations. The Gurnee Police Department assists with installing over 400 seats per year and frequently encounters seats that should not be used. Child seats should only be used for a maximum of 6 years and any damage caused by a vehicular crash could render that seat immediately unsafe.

“Seats are commonly used beyond their service life or purchased second hand without the owner knowing the history of the seat such as if the seat was involved in a crash. Not only is using a damaged or expired seat a concern for safety, but this partnership is a way to make sure the seats are recycled and reused in an environmentally friendly way,” said Wendy Mann, a Gurnee Communications Shift Supervisor and the safety seat program coordinator.

The partnership has already recycled thirteen-(13) seats since operations started one week ago. “We think this is the first recycling program offered for child safety seats. I am not aware of another program like this,” Mann said.

If you are concerned that your seat has been involved in a MINOR crash and would like to know if the seat is still usable the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers the following guidelines:

• NHTSA recommends that child safety seats be replaced following a moderate or severe crash in order to ensure a continued high level of crash protection for child passengers.
• NHTSA recommends that child safety seats do not automatically need to be replaced following a minor crash.
• Minor crashes are those that meet ALL of the following criteria:
  • The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site;
  • The vehicle door nearest the safety seat was undamaged;
  • There were no injuries to any of the vehicle occupants;
  • The air bags (if present) did not deploy; AND
  • There is no visible damage to the safety seat
• Clarifying the need for child seat replacement will reduce the number of children unnecessarily riding without a child safety seat while a replacement seat is being acquired, and the number of children who will have to ride without a child seat if a seat were discarded and not replaced. The clarification will also reduce the financial burden of unnecessary replacement.

Any person interested in recycling their child safety seat should drop off the seat at the Gurnee Police Department at 100 N O’Plaine Rd, Gurnee, IL or call us directly at 847-599-7000.