Most Illinois children using adult seat belts too soon, AAA study finds

In what feels like no time, your child has graduated from a tiny baby sleeping in their car seat to a big kid campaigning to use a grown-up seat belt.

It may seem hard to resist those demands, but it could save your child’s life, experts say.

A recent AAA report found nearly 96% of Illinois children had switched to an adult seat belt too soon, and about 23% of kids had moved to a booster seat before it fit correctly.

“Parents would never knowingly put their child at risk, but many don't realize a seat belt that looks like it fits may not actually provide the protection their child needs,” AAA spokesperson Molly Hart said.

When kids transition to a booster seat or seat belt before they’re big enough, they’re not properly protected against crashes, experts said.

The study released in time for Child Passenger Safety Week also concluded that 68.5% of child car seats aren’t installed properly.

Common problems include loose harness straps or not installing the car seat tightly.

Help is available at many local police departments or through visiting nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety/car-seats-and-booster-seats#installation-help-inspection.

And this Saturday, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced a statewide series of free child car seat checks and technical assistance. Suburban locations include the following:

• Addison Police Department, 3 Friendship Plaza — 8 a.m. to noon.

• Batavia Fire Department, 1400 Main St. — 9 a.m. to noon.

• Lake Zurich Police Department, 200 Mohawk Trail — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Advocate Condell Medical Center, 801 S. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville — 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Vehicle crashes are a major cause in child fatalities, but car seats decrease risks by 71% for babies and 54% for toddlers, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported.

Booster seats can be a sore point as children get older, officials noted, but Illinois law requires kids to be in a car seat or booster until they’re at least age 8.

IDOT advises that children should not switch to seat belts until: “their knees bend naturally at the edge of the vehicle seat, the lap belt fits low across the hips and upper thighs, and the shoulder belt rests across the middle of the chest and shoulder.”

To learn more, visit idot.illinois.gov/travel-and-maps/safety/campaigns/buckle-up-illinois.

mpyke@dailyherald.com