Illinois Tollway and Illinois State Police Offer Kids Identification and Safety Seat Event June 3 in Glenview

Illinois Tollway and Illinois State Police Offer Kids Identification and Safety Seat Event June 3 in Glenview

The Illinois Tollway and Illinois State Police Troop 15 are working to keep children safe every trip, every time by hosting free Kids’ Identification and Safety Seat (K.I.S.S.) events in 2023 to inspect and correctly install child safety seats and provide free kids’ ID cards.
 
This year, six events are planned across the Chicago area, with the first scheduled for June 3 at the Kohl Children’s Museum, 2100 Patriot Boulevard, Glenview. For more information about K.I.S.S. events and to see additional activities at each event, visit the Troop 15 section on the Illinois Tollway’s website www.illinoistollway.com.   
 
“Safety is our top priority and K.I.S.S. events allow us to connect with families and provide parents with information they can use to protect their children when they’re out on the road or out in their communities,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse. “We believe these safety initiatives will help keep children safe and parents worry-free, every trip, every time.” 
 
Illinois law requires that all children under age 8 must be properly secured in an appropriate child restraint system when riding in a vehicle with family or other caregivers. In addition, children under age 2 years are required by Illinois law to ride rear-facing, unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall, to protect their developing muscles and bones.
 
Properly installed child safety seats save lives and significantly reduce injuries in the event of a crash. Yet, Illinois State Police find that as many as 90 percent of child safety seats they inspect are improperly installed. 
 
“We want to help parents do everything they can to protect their children when they’re riding in a car or truck and K.I.S.S. events give us the opportunity to provide information about the importance of properly using child safety seats,” said Captain Linda Mandat, Troop 15 Commander. “Providing parents and caregivers with a kids’ ID card can keep children safe by making it easier for authorities to locate and identify a lost or missing child.”
 
The Tollway and Troop 15 have worked together to promote child safety for more than 15 years, holding popular events annually throughout Northern Illinois.
 
2023 K.I.S.S. Events
 
To make it easy and fun for parents, grandparents and children alike, six K.I.S.S. events will be held at convenient locations at various locations along the 294-mile Illinois Tollway system. 
 
Operation Kid 2023 events kick off on Saturday, June 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kohl Children’s Museum, 2100 Patriot Boulevard in Glenview near the Edens Spur (I-94). Highlights include:

  • Free identification cards for children ages 3 and older and child safety seat inspections and installations 
  • Touch-a-truck display featuring hands-on exploration of a Tollway H.E.L.P. truck, snowplow and local emergency vehicles.
  • Trooper Cooper, a talking, child-sized Illinois State Police car that offers simple safety tips to toddlers and young children
  • Kids indoor and outdoor play areas.
  • Families attending event will receive voucher for one free admission to the museum.

 
Unless otherwise indicated, all other events also are on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 
   
July 8                    Fox Valley Park District Police Department 
July 15                  Bartlett Police Department
August 26             Children’s Museum of Oak Lawn
September 23       Lambs Farm in Libertyville
September 26       Tinley Park Police Department
 
 
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 weight. 
 
Rear-facing child safety seats protect a growing baby’s head, neck and back in an accident. Toddlers and young children should ride in a child safety seat with an internal harness until age 8 or they reach the maximum harness limit of the child restraint. 
 
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 4 feet 9 inches tall. Until age 8, most children have not developed strong hip bones and their legs and bodies are too short for the adult safety belt to fit correctly without use of a booster seat. 
 
Illinois law requires that whenever a person is transporting a child under age 8, the person is responsible for properly securing the child in an appropriate child restraint system. 
 
Missing Child Basics
 
Information provided on kids ID cards can help law enforcement search and recover a missing child. That includes a description of the child’s hair and eye color, height, weight, race, unique identifiers such as glasses or beauty marks, as well as date of birth, current photo and fingerprints.
 
The FBI suggests that parents keep their children’s fingerprints, not only because fingerprints are unique but also because they don’t change over time like a child’s appearance. The FBI also recommends that parents update the photos of their children on ID cards at least once a year to ensure they are current.
 
With increased public awareness, training, laws and better technology, the recovery rate of missing children has jumped from 62 percent in 1990 to more than 97 percent today, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 
 
About the Illinois Tollway
The Illinois Tollway is a user-fee system that receives no state or federal funds for maintenance and operations. The agency maintains and operates 294 miles of roadways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois, including the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80) and the Illinois Route 390 Tollway.

PREVIOUS POSTS