There's a good chance you've had that moment where you look at your kid in the back seat and think, "WAIT... are they supposed to be in that car seat still?"

Child Passenger Safety Week runs September 20th - 26th, making this a good time for Illinois families to take a second look at how their kids are restrained in the car.  And some of the numbers are pretty eye-opening.

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In 2024, an average of two children age 14 and younger were killed in crashes every day, while another 349 children were injured each day.

39% of children who died while riding in crashes were unrestrained.

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But even when kids are wearing a seatbelt, they may not necessarily be ready to use one without a booster seat.  One of the biggest reminders for parents is that kids can outgrow one stage of car-seat safety without being ready for the next one.

For younger children, experts recommend:

• Keeping them rear-facing for as long as possible (until they reach the max height or weight allowed by their car seat.
• Making sure the seat is installed tightly.  It shouldn't move more than an inch from side to side or front to back.
• Checking the car seat itself.  Look at the expiration date & avoid using a used car seat.
• Skip the aftermarket accessories that don't come with the seat.

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A lot of parents may be moving their kids out of booster seats before they're actually ready.  According to Safe Kids Worldwide data, 4 out of 5 parents move kids out of booster seats too soon.

Generally, a child should be around 4' 9" and able to pass the seat belt fit test before riding with just a seat belt.

Take this week to make a conscious effort to give your car seats an extra look.  A few minutes to check the installation, harnesses, expiration date, etc. could make a huge difference!