Safety Seat Requirements for Children in Illinois

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Car Accidents

Motor vehicle accidents are a major cause of death for adults and teenagers in the U.S., but according to AAA, they are the number-one leading cause of death for children. That means more children die in car accidents every year than die in other types of accidents, from disease, or doctor error.

AAA reports that putting a child in a safety seat can reduce the risk of injury by approximately 75 percent. A child seat can reduce the risk of death for a child in a motor vehicle accident by nearly 30 percent compared to kids who were wearing seat belts alone at the time of crash. For children four to eight years old, booster seats that make the seatbelt easier and more effective for a small body can reduce the risk of nonfatal injuries by 45 percent.

These statistics go to show why safety seat laws are ubiquitous. Reported by the Governors Highway Safety Association, all 50 states, including the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands have all enacted some sort of safety seat law. Nearly all states (with the exception of South Dakota and Florida) require booster seats after a child has outgrown his or her car seat.

Illinois has some of the most complex child safety seat laws in the nation, with specific requirements that govern the type of appropriate seat by age, the proper positioning of the seat’s angle, and how to fasten straps around the child sitting in the seat. Noted in CyberDriveIllinois, a publication of the Secretary of State’s office, any adult riding with a child in the car who fails to follow the appropriate safety seat requirements will be subject to court supervision for a first offense. Under court supervision, the offender must be able to prove that a child safety seat including restraint system was properly installed in the car and that he or she had completed a course on restraint system installation. “A subsequent violation,” according to CyberDriveIllinois, “is a petty offense with a $200 fine and not eligible for court supervision.”

If you or your child was injured in a car accident due to another's negligence, the most important step is to seek the counsel of an experienced Chicago car accident attorney. Call 847-662-3303 today.