Illinois Tollway and State Police Host September 21 Family Safety Fair in Downers Grove

DOWNERS GROVE, IL – The Illinois Tollway and Illinois State Police District 15 will host the 6th Annual Family Safety Fair on Saturday, September 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Tollway’s Downers Grove headquarters. The event offers family-friendly entertainment and activities, including free kids’ identification cards and child safety seat inspection and installation, to help keep children safe and parents worry-free – every trip, every time.

This year’s Family Safety Fair coincides with Child Passenger Safety Week (September 15-21) and National Seat Check Saturday, a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration campaign to remind parents and caregivers of the lifesaving effect child safety seats have in protecting children from birth through age 12. The campaign encourages parents to find out if they have their young children in the right car seats and learn how to install and use car seats correctly. 

“The Family Safety Fair brings fun and safety together with a variety of activities that moms and dads will appreciate and children will enjoy,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur. “With more than 80 percent of safety seats in Illinois installed incorrectly, this event provides valuable tools and peace of mind for parents, grandparents and caregivers to keep children safe on the road.”

Highlights of the Family Safety Fair include:

·        Free identification cards for children age 3 and older and help with child safety seat inspection and installation for children of all ages.

·        Radio Disney Chicago will roll in with its high-intensity, interactive show. The Radio Disney Road Crew powered by JULIE Inc. will provide music, games, fun and prizes to kids and families. 

·        The Jesse White Tumbling Team will perform acrobatic feats to thrill all ages.

·        The DuPage Children’s Museum will bring a sampling of some of its popular interactive exhibits.

·        The Illinois State Police District 15 will demonstrate how its K-9 unit assists troopers, as well as show the importance of wearing seat belts with its Roll 15 rollover simulator and the Convincer crash simulator.

·        A touch-a-truck display will feature hands-on exploration on roadway and emergency vehicles, including a Tollway H.E.L.P. truck, a 26-ton snow plow, Illinois State Police squad cars and motorcycles and a Lisle-Woodridge Fire Protection District fire truck. 

·        The DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will bring its public education vehicle, which features interactive demonstrations on emergency preparedness.

·        NBC 5 Chicago traffic anchor Kye Martin will serve as master of ceremonies.

In addition, Cintas Corp., a leader in secure document management services, will offer free paper recycling and shredding to provide a safe and secure way to dispose of confidential personal and business documents. Participants can bring up to five boxes of any paper documents they would like to have securely destroyed on site by a certified information destruction professional. Documents that can be shredded and recycled include bank statements, medical and insurance records, cancelled checks, credit card receipts and legal documents.

For the full schedule of events, please click on the Family Safety Fair banner on the Illinois Tollway’s website, www.illinoistollway.com.

“By holding our Family Safety Fair on National Seat Check Saturday, we hope to amplify the message that properly installed child safety seats are critical to saving lives and preventing injuries,” said District 15 Acting Commander Robert Meeder. “Because car crashes are the number one killer of children ages 1 through 12, we want to provide parents and caregivers with the resources they need to make sure they are using the correct child safety seats.”

As in past years, certified child passenger safety technicians will be on hand to inspect and install child safety seats and help drivers stay up-to-date with the latest safety seat information and educational materials. Properly installed safety seats eliminate a potential distraction for drivers and significantly reduce the risk of injury or greater tragedy for children in the event of an accident.

Safety seat inspections also offer a convenient way for drivers to make sure they comply with Illinois law, which requires that whenever a person is transporting a child under age 8, the person is responsible for properly securing the child in an appropriate child restraint system. To participate, parents, grandparents and caregivers should bring child safety seats, children and the vehicle in which the child safety seats will be installed.

Specially trained professionals also will be available to take kids’ photographs and fingerprints and gather vital information to include on three personal identification cards – one for home and two for a wallet or purse. This information will not be stored by police, but rather, used by parents and others in the event of an emergency. So far in 2013, District 15 has issued 405 kids’ identification cards.

More than 2,100 children – almost two children per minute – are reported missing every day in the United States. Law enforcement and others need proper identification that is immediately available before they can take action. Many lost children can be located if parents immediately provide police with an accurate description of the child.

Child Safety Seat Basics

The safest place for infants, toddlers and young children to ride is in the back seat with the appropriate child safety seat for their age and weight. Some of the more common problems District 15 inspectors pinpoint include: too much slack in harness straps, not properly anchoring the car seat, improper seat size for the child’s weight and the need for booster seats for older children.

Infants should ride rear-facing until 2 years of age, longer if possible, to protect their developing muscles and bones. Rear-facing child safety seats protect a growing baby’s head, neck and back in an accident. Toddlers and young children up to age 4 should ride in a child safety seat with an internal harness until they reach the maximum harness limit of up to 40 pounds.

A booster seat is the most effective way to position a safety belt properly on a young child's growing body. Safety belts are designed for adults who are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall. Until age 8, most children have not developed strong hipbones and their legs and body are too short for the adult safety belt to fit correctly, without use of a booster seat. So far in 2013, District 15’s certified child passenger safety seat technicians have checked a total of nearly 185 child safety seats. 

About the Illinois Tollway

The Illinois Tollway is a user-fee system that receives no state or federal funds for maintenance and operations. The agency maintains and operates 286 miles of interstate tollways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois, including the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) and the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80).

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