OPERATION PRECIOUS CARGO By SECRETARY OF STATE GEORGE H. RYAN

SPRINGFIELD — With the help of his 1-year-old granddaughter, Secretary of State George H. Ryan recently demonstrated how "Operation Precious Cargo" will help make highways safer for young travelers. Ryan buckled granddaughter Andrea Barrow of Chatham into one of 167 car seats that all uniformed investigators of the Secretary of State Police carry in their squad cars.

A new program in the Secretary of State's office, called "Operation Precious Cargo," will help make highways safer for young travelers. The program is designed to protect children under age 4 when parents or other drivers fail to secure them in a car seat or are not aware of the Illinois child restraint law. Under "Operation Precious Cargo," uniformed investigators of the Secretary of State Police carry loaner car seats in their squad cars. Instead of just ticketing drivers who fail to secure children under age 4 in a car seat, the officers will loan those drivers a car seat and show them how to use it. It doesn't make sense to ticket people for driving without car seats, and then just let them drive away. "Operation Precious Cargo" gives children a second chance to get to their destinations safely.

Traffic safety is one of my most important duties as Secretary of State, and I believe that ensuring the safety of our youngest passengers is a grave responsibility. Fining a driver $25 for violating the child restraint law can be effective in encouraging the use of car seats. However, I believe that prevention rather than punishment will be a more effective way of protecting young passengers.

Secretary of State Police use car seats on daily patrols, during anti-drunk driving enforcement patrols and at roadside safety checks. They will offer use of the seat for up to 30 days. The seat then must be returned to the nearest driver services facility.

The child restraint seats were purchased for $7,500 with a one-time grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, The grant was the first of its kind to an Illinois law enforcement agency.

Car seats have been issued to uniformed officers for a minimum of one year through the federal grant. The seat is in the squad car unless the officer is carrying out an alternate mission and needs the space.

Illinois Department of Transportation statistics during a recent two-year period show that nearly 6 percent of all traffic deaths in Illinois were passengers under age 4. That simply is unacceptable.

In addition, 2,331 children age 0-12 died in motor vehicle crashes in the United States during 1990. Fifty-four percent (1,262) were occupants of passenger vehicles. All were passengers, 43 percent in the front seat, 43 percent in the rear seat, and the rest in cargo areas, other areas, or unknown locations.

The Illinois Child Passenger Protection Act, in effect since July 1, 1983, requires any person transporting a child under age 4 in a passenger car, pickup truck or recreational vehicle to secure the child properly in a child restraint system, except in a medical emergency. When the person transporting the child is not the parent or legal guardian, the parent or legal guardian must provide the car seat. The person transporting the child is not violating the law unless a seat was provided by the parent or legal guardian but was not used to transport the child.

Four-and 5-year-old children must be secured in car seats or seat belts. Drivers transporting children between the ages of 6 and 16 in the front seat of a vehicle must be sure the children are wearing a seat belt.

Children comprised 19 percent of the U.S. population in 1990 and 5 percent of all motor vehicle deaths. The youngest children have higher passenger vehicle occupant death rates than older children, and the highest rate is for children younger than 1 year.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the national use rate for child restraint systems is 83 percent. But only half are used correctly.

The best preventive measure we can take is the proper use of car seats. We hope "Operation Precious Cargo" will be an effective step toward our goal of eliminating traffic deaths and injuries to our youngest passengers. •

October 1991 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 5