Child Passenger Safety
Traffic safety campaigns
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among children. While most people believe their children are properly buckled up, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration points out that 46% of all car seats are misused.
Common car seat mistakes include:
- Choosing the wrong seat for a child's age and size.
- Putting harness straps through the wrong slots.
- Incorrectly positioning the chest clip.
- Securing the harness or car seat too loosely.
- Using the wrong seat belt path.
To help keep kids safe, TxDOT offers free car seat inspections at its district offices across the state. Visit LoveMyCarSeat.org and enter your ZIP code to schedule a car seat check-up with a traffic safety specialist near you.
Parents and caregivers can also go to LoveMyCarSeat.org for car seat safety tips and to find out if their child should be riding in a rear-facing, forward-facing or booster seat.
Buckling kids properly in a car seat isn't just the best way to keep them safe, it's also the law. In Texas, children younger than eight years old must ride in a car seat or booster seat unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches. Older children who have outgrown a booster seat must be buckled with a seat belt. If they aren't secured, fines for driver can reach $250.