Gurnee - September 24, 2010 - Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 6 and 8 to 14. That is why the Gurnee Police Department is urging parents and caregivers to make sure their child safety seats are properly installed on "National Seat Check Saturday," September 25th.

As part of Child Passenger Safety Week (September 19-25, 2010), the Gurnee Police Department will have certified technicians available to provide free hands-on child safety seat inspections and advice from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Target parking lot, 6601 W. Grand Avenue. This event will be sponsored by AAA, Dorel, the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Traffic Safety (IDOT/DTS) and the Gurnee Police Department.

"It is the responsibility of every parent and caregiver o ensure their children are safely restrained – every trip, every time," said Gurnee Police Chief Robert Jones. "We are urging everyone to have their child safety seats inspected. When it comes to the safety of a child, there is no room for mistakes."

Research shows that child restraints provide the best protection for all children up to age 8. From 1975 to 2008, 8,959 lives have been saved by the proper use of child restraints according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In 2008, among children under age 5 in passenger vehicles, an estimated 244 lives were saved by child restraint use (child safety seats and adult seat belts).

For maximum child passenger safety, parents and caregivers can visit their local inspection stations and refer to the following 4 Steps for Kids guidelines that determine which restraint system is best suited to protect children based on age and size:
 

1. For the best possible protection keep infants in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until a minimum of age 1 and at least 20 pounds.
2. When children outgrow their rear-facing seats (at a minimum age 1 and at least 20 pounds) they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds).
3. In Illinois, by law, once children outgrow their forward-facing child safety seats (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds), they must ride in booster seats, in the back seat, until the age of 8. All children should ride properly restrained in the back seat.
4. Children are not ready for a safety belt until they are 4’9" tall and over the age of 8. They can use the adult safety belts in the back seat, if they fit properly. Safety belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest (usually at age 8 or when they are 4’9" tall).

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Remember: All children younger than 13 should ride in the back seat.

Safety belts are required in all seating positions in all cars, light trucks and vans. It is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to ride in the bed of a pickup truck.