Texas law requires children under the age of 8 to be secured in child safety seats while riding in automobiles unless the child is taller than 4 feet 9 inches in height. This law is designed to prevent serious injury or even death if an accident happens. To improve safety, the state of Texas recently announced inspectors would provide free child safety seat inspections to help ensure Texas children are protected on our roads.
According to a press release from the state’s Department of Transportation, the inspections are offered for free, year-round, at the 25 TxDOT district offices.
“Buckling young children into safety seats is the law, so TxDOT is pleased to offer this service in an effort to help keep them safe,” said Phil Wilson, executive director of TxDOT.
A study from the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) found that although nearly 9 in every 10 Texas children are in a child safety seat, many are not buckled in correctly. As a matter of fact, 37 percent of infants and toddlers in the investigation were not secured correctly or not secured at all.
The study reports that Houston was one of the cities with the lowest rates of correct child safety seat use. About 59 percent of children in the city are correctly secured, compared with 83 percent in Austin, at one end of the spectrum, and only 26 percent in Brownsville, at the other end.
Wilson said it is important that parents are using the correct seat appropriate to their child’s height, weight and age.
In the event of an auto accident, child safety seats ensure children experience as little of the impact as possible. The seat cradles their body while absorbing some of the immediate impact, also preventing them from moving out of the seat and colliding with the seat in front of them.
Child safety seats can’t prevent all injuries. Obviously, if an accident is violent enough, whether due to speed, point of impact, or the vehicle you collide with, children risk serious injury regardless of how they are secured. But, properly used seats can reduce the risks.
Houston Auto Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been involved in an auto accident and your child was injured as a result, you could be entitled to compensation for his or her injuries. Contact Houston-area car accident lawyer Kevin Krist today to discuss your case and how he might be able to help. Call 832-924-3171 today for a free consultation.
