RIVERDALE | The Illinois Department of Transportation/Division of Traffic Safety, AAA, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and the village of Riverdale are urging parents and caregivers to make sure child safety seats are properly installed in their vehicles.

Certified technicians will perform free, on-site seat inspections from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot at Village Hall, 157 W. 144th St.

"It's the responsibility of every single parent and caregiver out there to make sure their children are safely restrained -- every trip, every time," Police Chief Greg Baker said in a news release. "We are urging everyone to get their child safety seats inspected. When it comes to the safety of a child, there is no room for mistakes."

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research, child restraints provide the best protection for all children up to age 8. After age 8, and when a child has reached 4 feet 9 inches tall, safety belts provide the best protection. Illinois law requires the use of child safety seats or booster seats up to age 8.

For maximum child passenger safety, Baker said parents and caregivers should refer to the following four guidelines for determining which restraint system is best suited to protect children based on age and size:

-- Keep infants in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until at least age 1 and at least 20 pounds.

-- When children outgrow their rear-facing seats, they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats in the back seat until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat -- usually about age 4 and 40 pounds.

-- Once children outgrow their forward-facing seats, they should ride in booster seats in the back seat until the vehicle safety belts fit properly. Safety belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest -- usually at age 8 or when they are 4 foot 9 inches tall.

-- When children outgrow their booster seats, they can use the adult safety belts in the back seat if they fit properly. The lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest.

For more information on Child Passenger Safety Week, visit www.nhtsa.gov.

To find a complete listing of Seat Check Saturday checkpoints in Illinois, visit www.buckleupillinois.org.