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Child Passenger Safety and Seatbelts
LIBERTY, March 20, 2018 - Nationally, traffic collisions are the leading cause of death among children ages 5 to 14 and the results are staggering; more than 500 are killed and 95,000 are injured annually. Many of these deaths and injuries could have been prevented if the children were properly restrained in seat belts or child safety seats. When children outgrow forward-facing child safety seats, they need to be restrained in belt-positioning booster seats until they are big enough to fit properly in an adult seat belt. Things to remember when transporting children or using child safety/booster seats in a vehicle:
In 2016, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) introduced a Child Passenger Safety National Best Practice Recommendation list with four phases. Texas law doesn’t require parents to practice everything on this recommendations list, but authorities urge all parents to take these recommendations seriously to prevent spinal cord injuries and death. The new law is meant to close the safety gap for children who have outgrown infant car seats, but are not big enough to be protected by adult safety belts. Booster seats are required by law to comply with the same standards and guidelines as child safety seats. When buying a booster seat, make sure it has a label stating the child restraint system conforms to all applicable United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Never use a booster seat that has been in a crash. The seat may have defects that are not visible. |
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