SAN ANTONIO — It's been nearly 24 hours since Texas saw its last day without a road fatality, and though none of the several children hospitalized after being ejected from a car Sunday night in San Antonio have died, the wreck is underscoring safety on the roads and what drivers can do to prevent tragedy.
Six children ranging from 2 to 11 years old suffered life-threatening injuries when the car they were traveling in experienced a tire blowout before crashing into a tree on the east side, according to authorities. A seventh child was also riding in the car but wasn't ejected.
San Antonio police believe that child was the only one of the seven wearing a seat belt. The driver of the car now faces child endangerment charges.
"Even in 2024, we're still talking about seat belt safety because a lot of people are not restraining themselves," said AAA Texas Spokesperson Daniel Armbruster.
The difference that wearing a seat belt makes is drastic, according to Armbruster, especially for young passengers. According to him, child restraints reduce their injury by up to 82%.
At the same time, travelers on Texas roadways are still putting themselves in harm's way. Armbruster said nearly half of those killed in a crash in the Lone Star State last year weren't buckled in.
Additionally, parents should make sure they know how to properly use their child's booster seat so they're traveling the safest way.
At the onset of what's expected to be a busy fall/winter travel season in Texas, Armbruster also emphasized the importance of maintaining your car's tires to avoid potential blowouts. That means talking with your technician; checking tire tread before long road trips; using an "old-fashioned tire gauge" to check the pressure at least once a month; and ensuring the air you're putting in matches up with the recommended amount written on the driver's side door label.
"Sometimes we’ve seen in AAA studies that those digital air pressure readings can be inaccurate," Armbruster said. "When you have an underinflated tire on hot pavement, that creates extra friction that can lead to a blowout."
Sunday's crash involved a single car. Police said the driver overcorrected while reacting to the blowout, causing them to crash into the tree in the area of Interstate 35 and Frost Bank Center Drive.