COMAL COUNTY, Texas — Every 32 seconds, a child is involved in a car crash. In those events, car seats save lives and prevent injuries, if they are properly being used. Installing a car seat can be tricky. Certified Technicians helped parents get it done right Tuesday morning at a car seat inspection station in Canyon Lake.
Families who participated drove off with peace of mind. Jyoti Kc, 3, and her little sister got new car seats at the event.
“This is this is a lot more than I expected,” said their mom, Karina Kc. “This is really cool.”
The Comal County mom stopped by the Tye Preston Memorial Library in Canyon Lake to make sure her car seats were correctly installed. A few minutes into the checkup, Karina found out she would receive new ones for free.
“Thanks to our grant from TXDOT, we’re able to give them an Evenflo seat or Graco seat,” said Mike Guidry, the Program Coordinator for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Passenger Safety Project. “Seeing the joy in that child's face, as well as the mom, getting a new seat, it’s totally unexpected. It's like Christmas for them.”
Guidry is also a Certified Child Safety Seat Technician. He and a group of other technicians installed the seats and showed Karina how to properly buckle in the kids.
“I didn't want to miss this opportunity to get a better car seat because obviously I want my kids to be safe,” Karina said.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office in Comal County worked with TXDOT and the Tye Preston Memorial Library to help families in the community. Area First Responders also stopped by the event.
Since 1999, the AgriLife Extension Passenger Safety Project has inspected over 32,000 child safety seats. Technicians found that 99% of them were not being properly used.
“We’ll ensure not only that the seat is attached to the car properly, but also that child is properly sitting in there and it's the correct seat for that child,” said Guidry. “We’ll also discuss with that parent the stages of development with that seat.”
The experts remind parents to use a rear-facing seat for as long as possible. Parents should be aware of the height and weight requirements for each seat.
Texas law also requires children under 8 to ride in a safety or booster seat. Children may use an adult seat and seat belt once they are 4’9”.
After the installation and buckle demo, Karina was ready to roll. The mom said she is happy her daughters are in the right seats.
“I'm excited to have something much more safe,” said Karina.
Parents who need an inspection can book an appointment with a Certified Child Safety Seat Technician.
Click here to find a technician near you: BuckleUp.TAMU.EDU
If you are unable to afford a seat contact Safe Riders at: 800-252-8255.