Litigation

Car Seat Safety in Texas

By Angel L. Reyes, III

This past September, 2009, Texas enacted new rules that relate to car safety seats.  Let's begin with the rules.  Who needs to be in a car seat?  In Texas, all children younger than 8 years old must be in a child safety or booster seat, unless, the child is taller than four feet, nine inches.  Wow, I would have been being driven to high school in a booster seat had that been the law back in my day.  Fortunately, I grew a foot between 9th and 12th grades.  Anyway, back to the rules and regulations.  Keep in mind that while this is a legal requirement, you don't have to throw out your common sense if the belts in your car fit your child.

Always remember to put your kids in the back seat. Front seats have airbags that can injure or kill a small child, so the front seat is a definite no, no. For most kids that means the back seat until 12 years old.  Beyond that, the Texas Department of Safety calls for infants under one year old, be in rear-facing safety seats.  Once your child is at least 20 pounds, you can turn the safety seat around and let it face forward.
 
There are so many car safety seats for kids, most parents are bewildered by the tyranny of choice. While there may be a lot of choices, I would never recommend a convertible system, in spite of the fact there are more of those than any others; and they are cheaper. Convertible safety seats may seem convenient, after all, you can snap the cradle out and voila, you've got a baby carrier, but that convenience comes at a steep safety price. Many of these types of car safety seats have been subject to numerous recalls and lawsuits over the years. The best car safety seat is one that is more expensive, is permanently installed, and properly anchored to your vehicle's frame. If you have any questions about how to properly install a car safety seat go to www.seatcheck.org, and you'll find a list of every place in Texas that's willing to inspect your installation and ensure your child's safety.

©2009 Angel Reyes
www.ReyesLaw.com

Full post as published by Angel Reyes Blog on November 09, 2009 (boomark / email).