Inside the Tollway

National Child Passenger Safety Week (September 20-26) is a reminder to check your child’s car seat or booster and make sure it is properly fitted and secured.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 80 percent of car seats checked in 2025 had at least one harness or installation error. Even a small mistake can affect how a child restraint protects a young passenger in a crash.

The Illinois Tollway is committed to helping families keep their youngest passengers safe. Through Tollway Tykes, parents and caregivers can learn more about child passenger safety, connect with certified technicians and access resources to help ensure children are properly secured on every trip.

Certified child passenger safety technicians inspect child safety seats and help parents and caregivers with proper installation. During inspections, technicians can identify common issues, including:

• A child facing the wrong direction
• Too much slack in harness straps
• A car seat that is not properly secured
• A child restraint that is not appropriate for the child’s weight
• Older children who may need a booster seat
• Expired car seats and boosters

As children grow, their car seat needs change. Parents and caregivers should make sure their child uses a restraint appropriate for their age, height and weight and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installation and use.

For parents and caregivers who need help checking a child’s car seat, Tollway Tykes provides information about child safety seat inspections and other resources for parents and caregivers.

Tollway Tykes also offers free kids ID cards. Certified professionals take photographs and fingerprints of children 3 and older and gather vital information for an ID card that parents and caregivers can reference in an emergency. These cards can help law enforcement locate a child.

Child passenger safety resources and a calendar of upcoming Tollway Tykes events are posted on the Tollway Tykes web page.