Palatine police checking child safety seats Friday

The Palatine Police Department will host a free Child Safety Seat Checkpoint from noon to 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22, with certified child passenger safety technicians at police headquarters, 595 N. Hicks Road, checking car seats for proper installation.

The technicians will educate parents and caregivers on how to choose the correct car seats and install them properly. The event is one of 93 in Illinois during National Child Passenger Safety Week, which ends Saturday.

Illinois events will focus on educating parents on the dangers of eight mistakes: Turning the child forward facing too soon; not adjusting the harness snugly; not securing the car seat properly; not registering the car seat for recall notifications; having toys or other items unsecured in the vehicle; not using the lower anchors/LATCH system as approved; not using the top tether on a forward facing car seat; and moving to the next car seat or booster seat too soon.

In Illinois, children are required to be in a car seat or booster seat until at least age 8 and all children younger than 13 should ride in the back seat.

For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov or www.buckleupillinois.org.