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| ILLINOIS TOLLWAY PRESS RELEASES
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| 08/25/2008 Illinois State Police District 15 and Illinois Tollway Offer Child Safety Seat Event in Downers Grove on August 30DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. – Illinois State Police District 15 and the Illinois Tollway will offer a free child safety seat inspection event on Saturday, August 30, at the Tollway’s Headquarters in Downers Grove. Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be on hand from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to check child safety seats and help with proper installation and use.Car crashes are the leading cause of death for kids and in Illinois 80 percent of child safety seats are not installed correctly. Under Illinois law, children under age 8 must be properly secured in an appropriate child restraint system, which includes booster seats. “District 15 is committed to ensuring child safety for drivers on the Illinois Tollway. Even small errors can make the difference in whether a child is injured in a car accident,” said District 15 Commander Tami Haukedahl. “Some of the more common problems our inspectors pinpoint include too much slack in harness straps, not properly anchoring the seat, improper seat size for the child’s weight, and the need for, or use of, booster seats for older children.” Downers Grove Safety Seat Event Details The August 30 event will be held in the south lot of the Tollway’s Headquarters, at 2700 Ogden Ave. in Downers Grove, just east of the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355). Illinois State Police trained inspectors will check for proper installation of child seats. To participate in the event bring the child safety seats, the vehicle in which the child safety seats are to be installed, and if possible, the child using the seat. Participants will receive information on recalls and recall detection; correct safety seat positioning and sizing to protect the child most effectively; plus additional safety information and resources. “Seat belts and child safety seats are the most effective safety devices in vehicles today and save countless lives each year. Most parents are conscientious about the safety of their children and yet the leading cause of unintentional death for children is auto-related,” said Executive Director Brian McPartlin. “Our law enforcement partners on the Illinois Tollway System know this, and that is why they are committed to enforcing seat belt laws and working to educate the public on how to properly secure their children to make every trip a safe trip.” Child Safety Seat Basics The safest place for infants, toddlers, and young children to ride is in the back seat with the appropriate child safety seat for their age and size. Rear-facing child safety seats protect the growing babies head, neck, and back in a crash. Children should ride rear-facing until at least 20 pounds and 1 year of age – longer if possible to protect their developing muscles and bones. Toddlers and young children up to 4 years old should ride in a child safety seat with an internal harness until they reach the maximum harness limits of up to 40 pounds. A booster seat is the most effective way to position a safety belt properly on a young child's growing body. Safety belts are designed for adults who are at least 80 pounds and 4 feet 9 inches tall. Until age 8, most children have not developed strong hipbones, and their legs and body are too short for the adult safety belt to fit correctly. Know Before You Go The Illinois Tollway offers a variety of ways for drivers to get the latest information on construction and traffic on the Tollway System.
The Illinois Tollway maintains and operates 286 miles of interstate tollways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois, including the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), and the Tri-State Tollway (I-94, I-294, I-80). Tollway customers can save time and money with I-PASS electronic toll collection - Get I-PASS & Get Going! | |
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