DPS offers tips to ensure child safety in car seats

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Department of Public Safety officials are reminding drivers to educate themselves on child passenger safety practices.

This reminder coming as Sunday, Sept. 15 marked the beginning of Child Passenger Safety Week.

“Children mimic the adults around them, so it is critical for parents, grandparents and loved ones to model the importance of wearing seatbelts and following other safe practices in the car,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages one to 13. In 2022, there were 1,129 kids killed in car crashes.

Here are some tips DPS is offering to help make sure your child is safe in the car:

• Make sure a car seat fits your vehicle properly before purchase
• Don’t purchase a car seat if you don’t know its history
• Model good behavior for children. i.e., wear a seatbelt at all times
• Infant car seats should be rear-facing, always
• Check the maximum height and weight limits for car seats
• If a booster seat is in use, ensure the seat belt is across the pelvic area and the belt strap is along the shoulder
  • A seat belt should never be placed along a child’s neck or abdominal area
  • Don’t allow a seat belt to be used under the arm or behind the back
• Texas law states all children younger than eight years old should be in a car seat
  • Exception: Child is taller than 4′9″
• Children eight years and older must have a seat belt on
  • An unproperly restrained child can lead to a $250 ticket

“A child’s best protection in a vehicle collision is to be buckled up correctly in the right car seat – and the department urges all drivers to make sure they know what those best practices are as soon as possible,” McCraw said.

Child Passenger Safety Week runs from Sept. 15-20.