Car crashes continue to be one of the leading causes of death for children under age 13, and Shiner Police Department, the Texas Department of Transportation’s Yoakum office, Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Don Kaspar Foundation are looking to help families do something about it.

Texas law requires that everyone riding in a vehicle is buckled up, and children younger than 8, unless they're taller than 4 feet 9 inches, must be secured in a child safety seat or booster seat, in accordance with the car seat manufacturer instructions.

“Most children leave the hospital in a rear-facing only infant seat or a rear-facing convertible seat,” Shiner Police Chief Kevin Kelso said. “Children should remain rear-facing until they reach the maximum height or weight limit for the rear-facing convertible seat, which is around age 2 or older.”

Children should ride in a forward-facing harnessed seat until they reach the height or weight limit for the seat. When the limit of the forward-facing seat has been reached, caregivers can consider a booster seat if the child is at least 4-years-old, 40 pounds and mature enough to stay correctly seated and buckled for the entire trip.

“Booster seats should be used until the lap and shoulder belt fit the child correctly, usually sometime between 8 and 12 years of age,” Kelso said. “Seat belts can be used when the child can sit up straight, bend their knees at the edge of the vehicle bench and touch the floor.”

Most parents think they are using their car seats correctly, but unfortunately, most car seats are used improperly or not at all.

For a car seat to best protect your child, it must fit your child and your vehicle, and you must use it correctly every time you travel, he said. And now is a good time to get a free car seat inspection to make sure that your car seat fits your child and is installed correctly in your vehicle.

The Shiner Police Department is urging all parents and caregivers to attend the child safety seat checkup event from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Aug. 16, at the Fish and Game Building at Green Dickson Park. Certified technicians will provide on-site child safety seat inspections and teach caregivers about proper car seat use.

The Shiner Police Department is hosting this event in partnership with Texas AgriLife Extension, the Texas Department of Transportation Yoakum District Office and the Don Kaspar Foundation.

For more information, please contact TxDOT’s Theresa Parma at (361) 293-4307.

Child safety seat checkup set Aug. 16 at Green Dickson Park