The Woodridge Police Department will provide free hands-on child safety seat inspections and advice on Sept. 25 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Target in Woodridge.
The event is sponsored by AAA, Dorel, the Illinois Department of Transportation's Division of Traffic Safety and the Woodridge Police Department.
The event is part of Child Passenger Safety Week, which runs from Sept. 19 to Sept. 25.
The Police Department provided the 4 Steps for Kids guidelines which gauge which restraint system is best for the child based on age and size:
- For the best possible protection keep infants in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until a minimum of age 1 and at least 20 pounds.
2. When children outgrow their rear-facing seats (at a minimum age 1 and at least 20 pounds) they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds).
3. In Illinois, by law, once children outgrow their forward-facing child safety seats (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds), they must ride in booster seats, in the back seat, until the age of 8. All children should ride properly restrained in the back seat.
4. Children are not ready for a safety belt until they are 4'9" tall and over the age of 8. They can use the adult safety belts in the back seat, if they fit properly. Safety belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest (usually at age 8 or when they are 4'9" tall).
