WAUKEGAN – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to increase enforcement of child passenger safety laws through Sept. 30 to help ensure the safety of young children traveling in the community.
The latest research from NHTSA shows that 46% of car seats are misused. Common issues are children being in the wrong type of car seat for their age and size and car seats being installed improperly, both of which leave children vulnerable to injury in a crash.
Using age- and size-appropriate car seats and installing them correctly are the best ways to reduce crash fatalities among children. According to NHTSA, more than a third of children 12 and younger who died in crashes in 2021 in cars, pickups, vans and SUVs were unbuckled. The most important rule: Never let your children ride unbuckled – not even on a short trip.
The campaign is funded by federal traffic safety funds from NHTSA administered by IDOT.