Texas Child Passenger Safety Week – What You Need to Remember

Last week all across Texas there were free car seat safety checks in honor of National Child Passenger Safety Week.  If you missed the opportunity to visit one of the free checks, remember that most fire stations offer free car seat inspections and installations – just be sure to call ahead first as you may need to make an appointment when the car seat tech is on site.

 

This is a good time to remind parents and caregivers of three basic child passenger safety tips.  There are several basic things that anyone driving with a child can do to prevent serious injuries in the case of a motor vehicle accident:

• Use an age-appropriate, properly installed child safety seat.  This one sounds easy, but make sure you understand the laws in Texas.  Read more in our article “What you need to know about the new Texas child safety seat laws.”
• Read the car seat or booster seat owner’s manual – you’d be surprised how many parents skip this basic step.  Each seat has different installation instructions and use restrictions.  Your child’s life depends on you following the manufacturer’s instructions.  When car seat inspections are performed, over 80 percent of all seats inspected are found to be installed wrong or are being used incorrectly!  This means that these children will NOT be properly protected if they are involved in a wreck.
• If your child is under the age of 16, the safest place for them to be is in the back seat.  Overall, riding in the back seat reduces the risk of serious injury for kids under the age of 16 by 40 percent.  Your kids may not like this one, but their safety is far more important than the privilege of riding in the front seat.

 

Read more in “Five tips for keeping your kids safe in their car or booster seat.”