ILLINOIS - Along with the plethora of new "laws" the Illinois legislature put into effect for 2019 so as to appear as if they're doing something, there's one that parents of small children are sure to find supremely annoying: Placing children under the age of 2 in a rear-facing car seat in the back of the car.
Rear-facing seats are an annoyance on a lot of levels: It's difficult enough to get kids into a car seat positioned in the back seat of a vehicle, especially if the car is a two-door; turning that seat around to be rear-facing might seem like a good idea in the event of a collision, but it doesn't appear there's been a lot of research to show that the kid won't be ejected out the back window as opposed to another window, front, side, whatever. As well, these days, young parents are so unbelievably irresponsible that they'll leave their kid in a car seat on a hot summer day and later say they "forgot" the kid was there. With a rear-facing seat, the likelihood that parents under the influence of substances (quite a few in Illinois, truth be told; more than need be) might attempt to pull that stunt and blame it on the new regulations. Hopefully the inconvenience rear-facing seats cause for front passengers (it's nearly impossible to adjust front seats with the colossal car seats these days taking up so much room in the back) might preclude some of that...but you never know.
Anyway, here's ISP's take on it...and of course they love it, because it gives them something else to ticket a driver for during their fundraising efforts:
Illinois State Police (ISP) announce changes to the Child Passenger Protection Act, which will become effective January 1, 2019. Effective January 1, 2019, all motorists traveling on Illinois roadways will be required to secure children under the age of 2 years old in a rear-facing child restraint system. We are hopeful the change in law will reduce infant injuries and fatalities if they are involved in a traffic crash.
HB4377 provides the following:
· Provides that when any person is transporting a child in this
state who is under the age of 2 years old in a motor vehicle of the first division or motor vehicle of the second division weighing 9,000 pounds or less, he/she shall be responsible for properly securing the child in a rear-facing child restraint system, unless the child weighs more than 40 pounds, is taller than 40 inches, or is traveling in vehicles weighing over 9,000 pounds.
· Parent or guardian must provide child restraints.
· Children under the age of 8 must be secured in an appropriate child restraint system.
· Every person transporting a child under the age of 8 is
responsible for properly securing the child in the vehicle.
"This legislation will assist in saving the lives of young children who depend on parents and guardians every day to protect them during travel," stated ISP Director Leo P. Schmitz. "It is of the utmost importance to make sure children and adults are buckled properly at all times when traveling on Illinois roadways," added Director Schmitz.
By signing this legislation, Governor Rauner continues to ensure the safety and well being of Illinois citizens and travelers of our roadways. Please visit: www.buckleup.org for more information.
(Jack note: You can find the rest of Illinois' new statutes, many of them rather contrary, at this link. Have fun reading through it, and let us know what you think.)