It’s been a recommendation for years, but now it’s law in Illinois. Children may not be flipped forward in their car seats until they are two years old unless they are at least 40 pounds or 40 inches tall.
Dr. Doug Carlson, the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics for SIU School of Medicine, said science proves this is the right decision.
“The old recommendation until about 2011 from the Academy of Pediatrics was rear-facing until about a year or 20 pounds" said Carlson. "That was modified on 2011 because studies showed death rates were 75% lower when children were in rear-facing car seats until two years of age.”
A first offense is punishable by a fine of $75 while a second offense will cost $200.
The measure passed unanimously in the House and earned only one “no” vote in the Senate during the spring session. Governor Bruce Rauner signed it into law on Friday.
