| Illinois Child Passenger Protection Act
Effective January 1, 2004 |
| Public Act
#83-8, The Child Passenger Protection Act, has been in effect in Illinois
since July 1,1983. The law, amended effective January 1, 2004 requires
anyone who transports children in Illinois in non-commercial vehicles
to do so in the following manner: |
| . Children under
the age of eight years must be secured in an appropriate child restraint
system, more commonly called a child safety seat. Child safety seats
include infant seats, convertible seats (rear-facing for infants and
forward-facing for toddlers) and booster seats that are used with
the vehicle lap and shoulder belt system. |
| . Children weighing
more than 40 pounds may be transported in the back seat of a motor
vehicle while wearing only a lap belt if the back seat is not equipped
with a lap and shoulder belt system. . Children and
young people eight and up to 16 years of age must be secured
in a properly adjusted safety belt in any position in the vehicle. |
| . The parent
or legal guardian of a child under the age of eight years is responsible
for providing a child safety seat to anyone who transports his or
her child. |
| . Every person
under the age of 18 years who transports a child eight years
of age or older (up to 18 years) is responsible for securing that
child in a properly adjusted and fastened safety belt or child safety
seat. Those found in violation of the law the first time
will be fined $50, which is waived upon proof of possession
of an approved safety seat. Subsequent violations are punishable
by a $100 fine. |
| Children with
physical disabilities that prevent the use of standard safety seats
are exempt from the provisions of the law if the disability is duly
certified by a physician. |
| This information summary is provided by the Illinois
Department of Transportation, Division of Traffic Safety, located
at 3215 Executive Park Drive, Springfield, IL 62794-9245, 217-785-3038. |