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Free Child Safety Seat Inspection July 26 at Ikea Schaumburg

 

Event offers free kids’ ID cards and safety seat inspections

 

DOWNERS GROVE, IL – In an effort to keep children safe and parents worry-free this summer, the Illinois Tollway and Illinois State Police District 15 have scheduled a free Kids Identification and Safety Seat (K.I.S.S.) event at the Ikea store in Schaumburg. Parents, grandparents and caregivers are invited to stop by and create free kids’ ID cards and get help with child safety seat inspections. 

 

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The free K.I.S.S. event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 26, at Ikea located at 1800 McConnor Parkway in Schaumburg. Safety seat inspections will take place in the far south section of the parking lot, while kids’ ID cards will be processed in the first floor lobby area inside the store. At the event, kids can climb aboard and get behind the wheel of an Illinois Tollway Highway Emergency Lane Patrol (H.E.L.P.) truck or a 26-ton snow plow. Ikea will offer other activities to keep children entertained.

 

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“Nearly 90 percent of the child safety seats inspected by the Illinois State Police are improperly installed – up from 80 percent last year,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur. “K.I.S.S. events offer free safety seat checks and ID cards to help keep children safe and provide peace of mind for parents, grandparents and caregivers when they’re on the road.”

 

K.I.S.S. events also offer parents, grandparents and caregivers the opportunity to have ID cards created for children age 3 and older. Specially trained professionals will take kids’ photographs and fingerprints and gather vital information to include on three personal ID cards – one for home and two for a wallet or purse. This information will not be stored by police, but rather, used by parents and others in the event of an emergency.

 

More than 2,100 children – almost two children per minute – are reported missing every day in the United States. And, it is estimated that 34 percent of American parents wouldn't be able to accurately describe their child to law enforcement, including details of exact height and weight, as well as their child's eye color. Many lost children can be located if parents immediately provide police with an accurate description of the child.

 

K.I.S.S. events provide certified child passenger safety technicians to inspect and install child safety seats and help drivers stay up-to-date with the latest safety seat information and educational materials.

 

“Securing proper safety restraints for children in automobiles is the law and no child should travel in a vehicle without being properly restrained at all times,” said District 15 Commander Patrick Kimes. “The certified safety seat technicians at K.I.S.S. events make the adjustments needed to keep all kids safe at every stage of their development.”

 

Nationally, car crashes are the number one killer of children ages 1 through 12, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). Research on the effectiveness of child safety seats has found them to reduce fatal injury by 71 percent for infants younger than 1 year old and by 54 percent for toddlers 1 to 4 years old in passenger cars, according to the NHTSA.

 

K.I.S.S. events also offer a convenient way for drivers to make sure they comply with Illinois law, which 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. In 2013, the Tollway and District 15 successfully teamed up to host 10 K.I.S.S. events throughout the region. Last year, District 15’s certified child passenger safety seat technicians checked a total of nearly 350 child safety seats. 

 

To participate, parents, grandparents and caregivers should bring child safety seats, the children who will be using the seats and the vehicle in which the child safety seats will be installed. Information on recalls, correct positioning, correct sizing to protect the child most effectively, plus additional safety information and resources will be offered at these events.

 

K.I.S.S. events are scheduled at a variety of locations along the 286-mile Illinois Tollway system throughout Northern Illinois. For more information about K.I.S.S. events, visit the Tollway’s website at www.illinoistollway.com

 

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. Some of the more common problems District 15 inspectors pinpoint include too much slack in harness straps, not properly anchoring the car seat, improper seat size for the child’s weight and the need for booster seats for older children.

 

Infants should ride rear-facing until 2 years of age, longer if possible, to protect their developing muscles and bones. Rear-facing child safety seats protect a growing baby’s head, neck and back in an accident. Toddlers and young children up to age 4 should ride in a child safety seat with an internal harness until they reach the maximum harness limit 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 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, without use of a booster seat.

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