Are your children buckled in correctly?

Tuesday, December 10

Sherman, Texas --  For children age 3 and up, motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of death.  43% of children killed in crashes are found to be unrestrained.  Child safety seats, including booster seats have been proven to be effective in preventing injuries and deaths and booster seats can reduce the risk of injury by nearly 60% in children ages 4-7.

In Texas, the law requires that children under 8 years of age, unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches, ride in a child restraint system.  Typically, children don’t reach that height until about 11 years of age.

On Tuesday, December 10 from 1:00 p.m. til 4:00 p.m., certified passenger safety technicians will provide a FREE inspection of your child safety seats, verifying the seat is appropriate for your child and that it is secured correctly.  There will also be a few FREE car seats or booster seats, while supply lasts, if your current seat is not safe or not the correct size.  This event will be held at in the parking lot of the Wilson N Jones Regional Medical Center on the corner of highway 56 and Highland Avenue in Sherman.  It is important that you bring your child so the technician can verify the seat is appropriate for the child and that it is buckled in safely.

For more information, contact Joyce White, Grayson County Extension Agent for Family and Community Health at (903) 813-4203 or by email at  joyce.white@ag.tamu.edu .  This program is conducted by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension through a grant with the Texas Department of Transportation Passenger Safety Save a Life program.