TxDOT to hold free car seat checks for Child Passenger Safety Week

LAREDO, Tx. (KGNS) - The Texas Department of Public Safety will be giving parents a chance to get their child’s car seats in compliance to prevent the unthinkable from happening.

Texas law requires all children under eight years old, unless they are taller than 4 feet, 9 inches to be in a child safety seat whenever they ride in a passenger vehicle.

The law also states that all children younger than 13 years of age should ride in the backseat.

Failure to properly restrain a child can result in a ticket of up to $250.

It’s something TxDOT takes seriously all year round, but they took some extra measures during this Child Passenger Safety Week.

“This week, we have been doing a lot of outreach and educating families, caregivers about the importance of having a car seat, and having the proper car seat,” said Blanca Trevino Castro with TxDOT. Forty-six percent, according to NHTSA, of car seats are not installed properly or correctly. And that’s one of the things that we work, as a technician, to educate parents and ensure that they are installed correctly.”

A child passenger safety seat inspection event will be held this Saturday, Sept. 23 at the Texas Department of Transportation Office on Bob Bullock Loop.

Officials will be there from 8:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. however, vehicles can start lining up at 8 a.m.

The child must be present for the car seat inspection.

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