STAFF REPORTS

Car safety seats and booster seats not only save lives: they save families. Consider the impact to your family if your child isn’t buckled up properly and is injured or killed in a crash. Are you ready for the consequences of not securing your child?

Starting June 1, law enforcement officers may issue citations for violations of the recent changes to the child passenger safety law.

The law requires all children younger than 8 years old – unless already taller than 4’9” – to be in an appropriate car seat or booster seat while riding in a passenger vehicle.

The law also requires that all safety seat systems be installed according to the manufacturers’ instructions – including age, height, and weight requirements as well as the proper placement in the vehicle.

Car seats for babies under 12 months of age should be placed rear-facing in the vehicle, and many studies suggest that it’s safest to leave a toddler rear-facing until two to three years of age, due the risk of spinal cord injuries from forward-facing seats.

Check the rear-facing weight limits on your car seat. Many models now accommodate rear-facing placement up to 40 pounds.

The law was passed last year during the legislative session and went into effect on September 1, 2009.  Officers could only issue verbal or written warnings for the first nine months – but next week the enforcement phase goes into effect.

Fines are $25 to $250 plus court costs.

If you have questions, contact Beth Warren, DPS Safety Programs, at 512-424-5639 or beth.warren@txdps.state.tx.us.