Nearly half of child car seats are installed incorrectly
TxDOT offers free car seat safety checks to help parents protect their most precious cargo | Download video |
- Across the nation, 46% of child car seats are misused or are the wrong seat for a child’s size. To help keep kids safe, TxDOT offers free car seat safety checks and hands-on education for parents and caregivers across Texas.
ATLANTA – Is your child’s car seat secure? For many Texas families, the answer is no. Motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of death for children. Preventing these tragedies starts with parents ensuring their kids are buckled properly in the right car seat for their size and driving like a Texan: kind, courteous and safe.
In 2025, there were 3 motor vehicle crashes in the Atlanta District in which unrestrained occupants ages 8–12 sustained fatal or serious injuries. These crashes resulted in 3 fatalities of children ages 8–12. The Atlanta District includes Bowie, Camp, Cass, Harrison, Marion, Morris, Panola, Titus and Upshur counties.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) invites parents and caregivers to schedule a free car seat safety check at any of its district offices across the state.
Saved by a seat
One of those TxDOT-sponsored car seat events helped Emilce Ferreira and her husband, Julio Torres, of Elmendorf, Texas, keep their son Santiago safe.
On a rainy day in September 2017, the family survived a serious crash with minor injuries after another driver hydroplaned, struck a concrete barrier and collided with their vehicle. Emilce and Julio were wearing their seat belts and Santiago was properly secured in his car seat.
“It was sometimes challenging putting Santiago in his car seat because he could be a fussy baby and toddler,” Ferreira said. “But we always did it because we’d heard horrific stories about crashes where kids died or were severely injured because they weren’t properly buckled up. We knew it was best for him.”
Emilce Ferreira shares her story, download here.
The risks of improper car seat use
“Children are our most precious cargo,” TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said. “Parents will do anything to protect their little ones, and we’re helping them be sure their kids are buckled in safe when they’re infants and as they grow.”
In Texas last year, 583 children younger than 13 years old were seriously injured and 69 were killed in traffic crashes. Something as simple as a car seat safety check could avoid life-altering injuries or save a life.
How TxDOT is helping
In recognition of Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept. 20–26), TxDOT is conducting car seat events around the state, including in cities found to have low rates of correct car seat usage. Download the “2025 Survey of Child Restraint Use” here.
Throughout the year, parents and caregivers can visit LoveMyCarSeat.org to schedule a car seat check with a safety specialist at the nearest TxDOT office.
Common car seat mistakes
Car seats save lives, but only if used correctly. Common mistakes include:
- Putting harness straps through the wrong slots.
- Incorrectly positioning the chest clip.
- Securing the harness or car seat too loosely.
- Using the wrong seat belt path.
Texas Child Passenger Safety Law
Buckling kids properly in a car seat isn’t just the best way to keep them safe, it’s also the law. Children younger than 8 years old must ride in a child car seat or booster seat unless they’re taller than 4 feet 9 inches. If they aren’t secured, fines for drivers can reach $250.
Love My Car Seat is an important part of TxDOT’s Drive like a Texan: Kind. Courteous. Safe. initiative. Drive like a Texan is about embracing the pride, camaraderie and responsibility of being a Texan on the road. By making thoughtful choices, we can all help keep each other safe. Learn more at DriveLikeATexan.com.
Here are some additional downloadable resources:
| Follow TxDOT’s Atlanta District on Facebook @txdotAtlantaTX, Instagram @txdotAtlanta, Nextdoor, X @txdotAtlanta and Threads @txdotAtlanta. |
| The Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining 80,000 miles of road and for supporting aviation, maritime, rail and public transportation across the state. Connecting You with Texas |