Change essentially adds 3 more years for kids to be buckled into a safety seat
AMARILLO, TEXAS -- Texas is changing it's child safety seat law, the old law requires parents to buckle kids into a safety or booster seat up until they are 5 years old or 36 inches tall. The new law will require parents to keep their kids buckled into a safety or booster seat up until they turn 8 years old or until they are 4'9" tall.
"We know that a child in a booster seat is restrained better in a crash and it's really about they're child's safety, we want the child to be able to survive a crash and that's the best way to do it, sometimes they're ejected out of an adult sized seat belt so it's really all about their safety," said Tracy Tellman a Traffic Safety Specialist for the Texas Department of Transportation.
The change to the law will start in September.
On a related note, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDot) will be hosting a child safety seat check up on Wednesday August 5th at the Clarendon Fire Department from 9-11 AM, and here in Amarillo at the fire station located at 3816 Amarillo Boulevard East from 2-4 PM.
If you miss these safety seat check ups then you can always contact one of three safety specialist here in Amarillo to check your seat, they make sure it's installed properly and make sure you're using the right seat for your child.
Tracy Tellman 356-3295, Julie Poindexter 354-1444, or Andrea Ewing at 468-4309.
