The Texas Department of Transportation recently gave 38 free child safety seat checkups at the First Baptist Church in Brownwood to make sure children in the Heartland are riding safely. The event was offered following a week-long course to certify 17 new child safety seat technicians in Brownwood and other communities throughout the area.
Texas law requires children younger than 8 years of age, unless taller than 4 feet 9 inches, to ride in safety seats. Nationally, three out of four safety seats are used incorrectly, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A recent study by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) found nearly nine out of 10 Texas children were riding in safety seats, but many were not properly buckled. The study also revealed 37 percent of infants and toddlers in Texas were secured incorrectly — or not at all — when riding in a vehicle.
