Illinois Child Seat Belt Law
Following Illinois' Child Passenger Protection Act is not enough. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) estimates that parents, caregivers and others incorrectly install 80 percent of the state's child safety seats. Illinois law and law enforcement officials provide precise rules and guidelines for child restraint systems and seat belt use in the state.
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Children
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Overall, according to the Illinois State Police (ISP), drivers and all front seat motor vehicle passengers must buckle up in the state. Laws protecting children go further. Illinois law requires parents and caregivers to secure children under 8 in a child restraint system, which includes car seats and booster seats. Children between the ages of 8 and 15 must wear a seat belt. If the vehicle is equipped with lap belts only, children under 8 who weigh more than 40 pounds may use a lap belt only. If a shoulder/lap belt combination exists, it must be utilized in conjunction with a booster seat.
Teens
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Illinois' Child Passenger Protection Act includes specific provisions for teens. Children under the age of 19 must buckle up, regardless of their seating position, when riding in a motor vehicle driven by someone under 18. In 2008, IDOT reports 85 teens were killed in the state in motor vehicle crashes as drivers or passengers.
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Enforcement
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An initial violation of Illinois' Child Passenger Protection Act carries a fine of no more than $50. The court waives this punishment if the defendant can provide proof that they possess an appropriate child restraint system. Subsequent violations of the act trigger a fine limited to $100.
Age-Appropriate Systems
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CyberDriveIllinois, a website from Illinois' Secretary of State, advises use of a rear-facing infant seat until your child is at least 1 year of age and at least 20 pounds. Use a rear-facing convertible seat designed for "heavier infants," if your child is less than a year, but weighs between 20 and 35 pounds. CyberDriveIllinois recommends a forward-facing booster seat for kids between ages 1 and 4, who weigh between 20 and 40 pounds. Between the ages of 4 and 8, a booster seat, used in concert with a shoulder/lap belt combination, is advised. This is common practice for children between 40 and 80 pounds, who are less than 57 inches tall. Children under 12 are safest in the back seat, stresses CyberDriveIllinois.
Considerations
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Commercial vehicles, including taxicabs, are exempt from Illinois' Child Passenger Protection Act. Children with physical disabilities--certified by a doctor--that prohibit them from using a restraint system are excepted. Illinois law points out that physicians cannot be held liable for damages resulting from their recommendation that a child be considered exempt.
The Buckle Up Illinois campaign recommends, if possible, situating a child in the center seat of the vehicle. This location is furthest away from front, side and rear impact crashes.
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References
- Photo Credit Familiarize Your Kid with seatbelts image by Maciej Zatonski from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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In the book SuperFreakenomics, they did a study that showed that child safety seats for children over 2 years old do nothing to lower the fatality rate in car accidents. The new law in Illinois is that if you are under 5'1" then you need a booster seat. I guess my wife needs one then, because she is only 5'. Illinois law makers give in to the carseat manufacturers' lobyist. They probably wont stop until every adult is in a booster seat also.
