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Make Sure You Are in Compliance with the New Child Safety Seat Law

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children age 3 to 6 and 8 to 14. In 2007, 6,532 passenger vehicle occupants 14 and younger were involved in fatal crashes. That’s why Texas AgriLife Extension agent, Gretchen Sanders, is urging all parents and caregivers to attend the child safety seat checkup event on September 15. As part of Child Passenger Safety Week (September 12-18) Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Blanco County will have certified technicians available to provide on-site child safety seat inspections and education from 10:30 am to 2 pm at Trinity Lutheran Church located at 703 Main Street in Blanco.

Effective September 1, 2009 Texas has a new child safety seat law. The law states that children under 8 years of age – unless taller than 4 feet 9 inches – will need to be in a child safety seat system (this includes traditional child safety seats with harnesses and booster seats). Many are referring to this new law as the ‘booster seat law’ because it will extend the current law to cover older children who need to ride in booster seats.

“More than four out of five car seats are used incorrectly,” Sanders said. For older children, booster seats are often overlooked. Far too few children ages 4 to 8 are restrained properly for their size and age. The new law will help to make sure that children, who are too small to fit in lap/shoulder belts, are riding in booster seats.

There are rear-facing car seats, forward-facing car seats, backless booster seats and high back booster seats. All these are critical in keeping a child safe in a vehicle, but they are not the most important factor.

“It’s the responsibility of every parent and caregiver out there to make sure their children are safely restrained – every trip, every time,” said Sanders. “We are urging everyone to get their child safety seats inspected. When it comes to the safety of a child, there is no room for mistakes.”

In 2007, among children under 5, an estimated 358 lives were saved from the use of child safety seats and booster seats. If all children under the age of 5 were restrained, an additional 71 children would have been saved.

“You don’t just put it in the car and snap it,” she said. The safety belt must be routed through the correct slots on the child safety seat, and the child safety seat should be secure enough that it doesn’t move more than an inch from side to side or toward the front of the vehicle.

Certified child passenger safety technicians will go over the checkup form with parents and point out what is correct and incorrect with each child safety seat. They will then educate parents on how to properly install the child safety seat.

Inspections may take up to 30 minutes each, she said, depending on how many pointers are given to the parents.

Sanders said besides buckling a child in properly, there are other measures to take to help ensure child safety. Put bags of groceries in the trunk of a car or in the very back of a sport utility vehicle or van. In a crash, cans and jars can turn into deadly projectiles, she said.

Also, never place an infant in the front seat of a car especially with a passenger side air bag. The safest place for all children 12 and under is the back seat.

For families with more than one child, tips on the safest seat positions for all the children will be given out.

The checkup event, from 10:30 am to 2 pm on Tuesday, September 15, is a community service. AgriLife Extension is working in conjunction with Blanco County 4-H and the Blanco County Child Protection and Family Advocacy Board. Thank you to Trinity Lutheran Church for the use of their parking lot.

For more information on this event, please call Gretchen Sanders at 830/868-7167.