“Did you know that in the United States, car crashes are the leading cause of death for young children?” asked Chris Franciskovich in a recent press conference at the Lemont Police Department.

As regional communications coordinator for the Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria, Franciskovich was in Lemont to welcome the LPD as their newest Be a Buckle Buddy! program partner.

The program has helped with child safety in Tazewell County since 2004, and he said a recent grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation is making it possible to expand to other areas in Illinois.

“Do you know the two most common mistakes people make when securing their child into a car safety seat?” Franciskovich asked. “One mistake people make is not fastening the car seat into the car firmly enough. In fact, IDOT states the national average shows that about four out of five child safety seats are not properly installed, and that in Illinois it is 80 percent that are not installed correctly.”

The other common mistake is that seat belts are not secured tightly enough to keep children safely in their seats, he added.

Although it is easy to correct such safety oversights, it is often someone outside the car who notices a dangerous situation before the parent or guardian does. However, until recently, an outsider had no way to help, Franciskovich said.

This is where the Buckle Buddy program comes in.

“Haven’t you seen a child moving around the back seat of a car?” asked Denise Bode, LPD Buckle Buddy coordinator. “And haven’t you wished you could do something about it?”

Now you can.

Be A Buckle Buddy! is a public service program. Anyone who sees a child who is not properly secured can call a special hotline number and report an unbuckled child. Callers to (888) 800-2642 will remain anonymous in helping to protect children, Franciskovich said. Then car owners can easily learn about mistakes that they may be making with the safety seats without callers worrying about retaliation.

“I think the program is geared toward mothers and fathers who have children and who see children in danger in other cars,” Police Chief Kevin Shaughnessy said. “They want to do something, and this program allows caring people to make a difference.”

So be a Buckle Buddy and protect your children by securing them properly every time they travel, Bode said.

Information is available at the police department by request.

To learn more, e-mail Denise Bode at dboed@lemont.il.us, call the Lemont Police Department at (630) 257-2229 or call the Buckle Buddies hotline at (888) 800-2642. An informational Web site soon will be launched at www.bucklebuddy.org.