Lake Co. Police Detail Focused On Car Seat Rules

LAKE COUNTY, IL — The Lake County Sheriff's Office will be focused on ensuring child passenger safety laws are being following during a special details that starts this Friday and continuing through the end of the month.

The sheriff's office is teaming up with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to increase enforcement efforts and "to help ensure the safety of young children traveling in our community," according to a news release from the sheriff's office.

The latest research from NHTSA shows that 46 percent 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, authorities said.

Using age- and size-appropriate car seats and installing each 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.