What You Need to Know About Child Car Safety in Illinois

According to the Child Passenger Protection Act, children who are under the age of 12 have to ride in a car seat. The law was changed from 8 years to include 12-year-old’s under the consideration children grow at different rates. As parents, you need to familiarize yourself with these laws, so you don’t accidentally violate laws during a long drive, to grandma’s place or anywhere you take your kids in the car.

According to state law, if you are transporting a child who is younger than eight, you are liable for their safety. That means you need to ensure they are properly secured in the relevant child restraint system, such as a booster seat. This must be done whether your car has air bags or not.

This includes children who are younger than 16 years of age – according to the law, they must remain secure in the back seat with lap belts. This includes children who are under eight years of age and weigh more than 40 pounds IF there is no booster seat available to accommodate their size.

Similarly, children who are under two years of age have to be secured in a rear facing harness system. The only exception is children of this age who weigh over 40 pounds or are at least 40 inches tall. They can be secured with a forward facing seat.

Besides ensuring your children are secure in the back seat with the appropriate restraint systems, you also have to wear an adjustable seat belt while driving them around. This involves any driver who is under 18 years old who has a graduate driver’s license or until they reach 18 years of age. Plus, they cannot drive with more than one person who is under 20 years old.

It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure every passenger, young and old obeys safety belt laws and the provisions in the Child Passenger Protection Act. In case you are involved in an accident and the passengers are not secure, you will be the one held liable for their injuries.

If you secured your children properly and they were injured because of an accident, you can sue for damages if the guilty driver refuses to pay. If you find yourself in such a situation – whether you had passengers with you or not – get in touch with Bob Edens at the Law Offices of Robert T. Edens. Bob and his staff are dedicated when it comes to representing auto accident victims in Illinois. We offer our services in Chicago, Waukegan, Woodstock, Libertyville and Antioch, IL. Get in touch for a consultation today.