Illinois Tollway and Illinois State Police District 15 to Host Free Child Safety Seat Event this Saturday, July 11 at Ikea in Schaumburg

In an effort to keep children safe and parents worry-free this summer, the Illinois Tollway and Illinois State Police District 15 are hosting a freeKids’ Identification and Safety Seat (K.I.S.S.) event at the Ikea in Schaumburg.  Parents, grandparents and caregivers are invited to stop by and create free kids’ identification cards and get help with child safety seat inspections.

The free K.I.S.S. event will be held on Saturday, July 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ikea located at 1800 McConnor Parkway in Schaumburg.  Child safety seat inspections will take place in the far south section of the parking lot, while kids’ ID cards will be processed in the first floor lobby area inside the store.  At the event kids can climb aboard a Highway Emergency Lane Patrol (H.E.L.P.) truck and get behind the wheel of a 26-ton snow plow.  Ikea will offer games and activities to keep children entertained.

“The Illinois Tollway and Illinois State Police District 15 are committed to keeping children safe while on the road and making sure that child safety seats are installed properly is a big part of that effort,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Greg Bedalov.  “Illinois State Police have found that approximately 90 percent of the seats they inspect are improperly installed, so we offer free K.I.S.S. events as a way to assist and inform parents, grandparents and caregivers about child safety.”

K.I.S.S. events offer parents and caregivers the opportunity to have ID cards created for children age 3 and older.  Specially trained professionals take kids’ photographs, fingerprints and gather vital information to include on three personal ID cards--one for home and two for a wallet or purse.  Neither Illinois State Police or the Illinois Tollway keeps the information in a database.  Once the ID card is issued to the guardian, the information is deleted.

”Safety seats should be every parent’s first priority,” said District 15 Acting Commander Robert Meeder.  “Child safety seats and restraints are the most effective way to reduce the chance of serious injury in the event of a crash.”