Child Passenger Safety

The Wilmington Police Department will always be concerned with the well being of our children. Proper installation of a child restraint seat is critical for protection in an accident. Installed child restraint seats should be inspected by certified technicians. Call Ordinance / Code Enforcement Officer Joey R. Crist to schedule your car seat inspection or for assistance in installing your car seat correctly. Joey Crist may be reached at 779-801-2595 (office), 815-351-3084 (city cell phone), or email at jcrist@wilmington-il.com.

Illinois Law requires that children under eight years of age MUST be secured in an approved child restraint system, more commonly referred to as a child safety seat. The child safety seat includes infant seats, convertible seats (rear and forward facing), and booster seats. It is crucial to have the child safety seats, correctly installed, so they are beneficial to the children who ride in them.

Several important points to remember:

• NHTSA and Pediatricians recommend children should remain in the rear facing position until they are one year of age AND weighing over 20 pounds.
• For the seat to work correctly in a crash, the seat should be installed and the child should be secured, properly.
• After the child safety seat has been involved in a crash, a new seat should be purchased for the security of the child.
• The Child Passenger Protection Act requires that a person transporting a child under the age of eight is responsible for properly securing the child in an appropriate child restraint system. An appropriate child restraint system includes a booster seat.
• A child weighing more than 40 pounds may be transported in the back seat of a motor vehicle while wearing only a lap belt if the back seat of the motor vehicle is not equipped with a combination lap and shoulder belt.
  A person who transports a child eight years of age or older, but under the age of 16, is responsible for properly securing that child in seat belts.
• The parent or legal guardian of a child under the age of eight years must provide a child restraint system to any person who transports his or her child. Any person who transports the child of another is not in violation of the law unless the child restraint system provided by the parent or legal guardian was not used to transport the child.
• Children should be secured in a child safety seat until the child sits all the way back against the auto seat, the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat, and the lap belt is positioned on top of the child’s thighs, the shoulder belt is centered on the shoulder’s and the chest and the child can stay seated in this position for the entire trip. If the child does not conform to the aforementioned criteria, the child should be in a booster seat.

If you have questions please contact the Wilmington Police Department, (815) 476-2813.