In the interests of your child’s safety while in a moving vehicle, he or she must be properly restrained. This is not just common sense; it is the law.
Summary of Illinois child seat safety laws
In Illinois, the laws regarding child seat safety can be summarized as follows:
Any child under the age of eight must be secured in a child restraint system.
Booster seats must be used in conjunction with shoulder and lap safety belts.
If a child weighs over 40 pounds, he or she may ride in the back seat using the lap belt, without a booster seat.
Recommendations
The laws in Illinois are nowhere near as extensive as they are in other states, and if you follow the above requirements, you will be in compliance with the law. The state does, however, offer recommendations for the ways in which children should be transported. They are as follows:
Children under age one
- Any child under the age of 1, and weighing under 20 pounds, should ride in an infant seat that faces to the rear, or a convertible child seat in rear-facing mode.
Children ages one to four
- Up until the age of two, children should occupy a rear-facing child seat. Once he or she outgrows it, then you can transition to a front-facing seat that has a harness system.
Children ages four to eight
- Children from the ages of four to eight should occupy a front-facing seat.
Children ages 8-12
- Until a child is tall enough to fit properly in adult seat belts, he or she should remain in a booster seat.
Penalties
If you violate the child seat safety laws in Illinois, you can be fined $75 for your first offense and $200 for subsequent offenses.
Keep your child safe by obeying the child seat safety laws in Illinois, and also restraining your child in accordance with the recommendations.
