Older children who outgrow their child safety seats are often at risk for serious injury from the very things that parents think will protect them: their safety belts.

TxDOT joins the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in observing National Child Passenger Safety Week, September 21 through September 27, 2008.

The campaign's primary message is "Buckle Up Your Child."

This year, there is a special emphasis on keeping tweens (children 8-10 years old) in booster seats, or preventing them from graduating to seat belts too early.

For two weeks from September 21 through October 5, TxDOT will sponsor a statewide campaign to remind Texans to buckle up their children and to use the child safety seat that is appropriate for the child's height and weight.

Facts on Child Passenger Safety

 Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 2 to 14.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration National Center for Statistics and Analysis, 2006

Of children ages 5 to 9 in Texas, just half are buckled up.

Texas Transportation Institute's Observational Survey of Safety Belt Use Among School-Aged Children, 2007

As many as 42% of children under the age of 17 ride in vehicles without the benefit of child passenger safety seats and safety belts.

Texas Transportation Institute's Observational Survey of Safety Belt Use Among School-Aged Children, 2007

In 2006, 1,136 Texans lost their lives because they weren't wearing their safety belts or restrained in child safety seats.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Motor Vehicle Occupant Protection Facts, 2006

Here's The Law

Texas law requires every person sitting in the front seat to be buckled up. The law also states that all children under 17 years old must be secured with a safety belt or in a child safety seat, whether they are sitting in the front or back seat. Children under five years old and less than 36 inches tall must be secured in child safety seat.  Violations can result in a fine of up to $200.

Best Practices for Child Safety Seat Use

Buckle children in the proper seat for his or her age, height and weight. Below are some guidelines to help parents select the restraint that's right for their child. Check the child safety seat manufacturer's instructions to be sure you install the seat properly.

When Do I Use a Child Safety Seat?

You have two choices of child safety seats when you have a child who weighs less than 40 pounds.

1. Infant Only or Rear-Facing Convertible Child Safety Seat: Birth-1 Year Old, Up to 35 lbs.

Use rear-facing seat until the child reaches the weight limit or height limit of the seat.

Place your child in a semi-reclined position according to the child safety seat manufacturer's instructions

Secure the chest clip even with your child's armpits.

Fasten harness straps snugly against your child's body.

2. Convertible/Forward-Facing Child Safety Seat: 1-4 Years Old, 20 to 40 lbs.

Use forward-facing seat for as long as the safety seat manufacturer recommends it.

Fasten harness straps snugly against your child's body.

Secure the chest clip even with your child's armpits.

Latch the tether strap to the corresponding anchor if your vehicle has one. To locate the strap and anchor, check your child safety seat and vehicle owner's manuals.

When Do I Put My Child in a Booster Seat?

Booster: 4-9 Years Old or Older, 40 lbs. to 80-100 lbs., less than 4 feet 9 inches (57 inches)

Use a booster seat-there are many types you can use to protect your child. Safety belts are designed for adults and big kids, not small children. Use a booster seat to lift small children up so the safety belt fits them properly. Some small children who are nine to ten years or older still need to ride in a booster seat.

Fasten the lap belt across your childfs thighs and hips, not stomach.

Strap the diagonal belt across the chest to rest on the shoulder, not the neck.

Don't allow children put shoulder belts under their arms or behind their backs.

How Do I Know If My Child Is Ready to Get Out of the Booster?

Children can graduate from a booster seat to a safety belt if all of the following are true:

1. The child can sit all the way back against the vehicle's seat.

2. The child's knees bend comfortably over the front edge of the seat, and the child's feet touch the floorboard of the vehicle.

3. The shoulder belt fits snugly across the center of the chest.

4. The lap belt sits as low as possible, snug against the child's hips and upper thighs.

For information about child safety seats, to receive instruction on child safety seat installation, or to arrange to have your child's safety seat checked, call Safe Riders at the Texas Department of State Health Services at 1-800-252-8255.