Tollway, State Police bring Operation Kid to Oak Lawn

Continuing Operation Kid 2022, the Illinois Tollway and Illinois State Police District 15 are hosting a Kids Identification and Safety Seat event on Saturday, August 27, at the Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn.

The Tollway and District 15 have worked together to promote child safety for more than 15 years, holding popular events annually throughout Northern Illinois to provide free kids’ ID cards and inspect and install child safety seats. In 2019, Operation Kid helped families and caregivers with about 375 child safety seats checks and issued more than 850 kids’ ID cards to parents.

There will be free identification cards for children ages 3 and older and child safety seat inspections and installations. Information provided on kids’ ID cards, including a child’s height, weight and fingerprints, can help law enforcement more quickly locate and recover a missing child.

Touch-a-truck display featuring hands-on exploration of a Tollway HELP truck, snowplow and local emergency vehicles.

Trooper Cooper, a talking, child-sized Illinois State Police car that offers simple safety tips to toddlers and young children.

Kids indoor and outdoor play areas.

The events were paused in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed in June with the Tollway and ISP District 15 hosting monthly events across the Chicago area this summer.

The August 27 event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn, 5100 Museum Drive, Oak Lawn. Families attending the event will receive a voucher for one free admission to the museum. No admission is required to participate in the event.

“This important safety program helps parents protect their children when they’re out on the road or out in their communities,” said Illinois Tollway Interim Executive Director Lanyea Griffin. “Safety is always our highest priority and this program helps achieves that goal by keeping kids safe and parents worry-free, every trip, every time.”

Illinois law requires all children under age 8 to be properly secured in an appropriate child restraint system when riding in a vehicle with family or other caregivers. In addition, as of January 1, 2019, children under age 2 years are required by Illinois law to ride rear-facing, unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall, to protect their developing muscles and bones.

Properly installed child safety seats save lives and significantly reduce injuries in the event of a crash. Yet, Illinois State Police find that as many as 90 percent of child safety seats they inspect are improperly installed.

“KISS events help protect children by providing a convenient way for parents to ensure the child safety seats they depend on are installed correctly,” said Captain Jason Bradley, District 15 commander. “We also use these events to educate drivers about the importance of complying with Illinois’ safety seat laws.”