Would your child’s car seat pass inspection?

AgriLife Extension to offer car seat checkup event

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Erica Hefner, 806-435-4501, Erica.hefner@ag.tamu.edu

PERRYTON – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Ochiltree County is hosting a child safety seat checkup event on March 28, and all parents are urged to attend to be sure they are properly installing and protecting their children, said Erica Hefner, AgriLife Extension family and consumer science agent for Ochiltree County.

Certified technicians will be available to provide on-site child safety seat inspections and education from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Perryton Expo Center, 402 Expo Drive, Perryton. To make an appointment, call 806-435-4501.

Securing children properly in age- and size-appropriate child safety seats – in the back seat of the vehicle – is the most effective way to protect them in the event of a crash, according to the National Highway Safety Administration.

Highway safety statistics show child seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers in motor vehicle crashes. From 1975 through 2010, an estimated 9,611 lives were saved by child restraints. Statistics show 41 percent of children killed in crashes are found to be unrestrained.

Even though the majority of parents buckle up their children in a child safety seat, booster seat or seat belt, most do not use them correctly. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly three out of four child safety seats are not used properly, which is a grave risk when traveling.

For a child safety seat to do its job right, it has to be:

– Appropriate for the child’s age and size.

– Installed properly in the vehicle.

– Adjusted to fit the child securely.

“If you’re a parent or caregiver, don’t miss this opportunity to have a free child safety seat inspection by a certified child passenger safety technician,” Hefner said. “Technicians can provide hands-on advice and instruction. Make sure your children are safe and you are in compliance with the current child safety seat law in Texas.”

The law, which took effect in 2009, requires all children under 8, unless taller than 4 foot 9 inches, to be in a child safety seat system, which includes traditional child safety seats with harnesses and booster seats.

To locate a certified child passenger safety technician in Texas visit http://buckleup.tamu.edu .
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