BRYAN — In honor of National Child Passenger Safety Week, TXDOT wants to make sure all children are buckled in correctly — it is not as easy as it seems.
According to TXDOT, 46 percent of children are not buckled correctly.
Julia Davies, the Bryan TXDOT traffic safety specialist, says,
"Often, we see children that are either in the wrong seat for their age or size," said Bryan TXDOT Traffic Safety Specialist.
"We see seats that aren't secured property and tightly in the seat, or kids that aren't tightly in their harnesses."
Although Davies says her inspection sessions usually last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, she gave us an abbreviated demonstration.
First on the list, is which was the car seat should face.
"We do recommend that children remain rear-facing for as long as possible, but at least until the age of 2," Davies said.
Once the car seat is in, it's time to buckle in.
"One of the things that I see happens a lot is a parent either won't know or will forget to lock the retractor on the seat belt," Davies said.
"In order to do that you want to pull it all the way out and then start to release it."
Another common mistake Davies sees on a daily basis, is not tethering front-facing car seats.
Latching car seats to the tether on the back of the seat prevents the car seat from moving forward in the event of an accident or sudden breaking.
TXDOT will hold drive-thru, car seat inspections at the Brazos Expo Center from 8:30 to 11 a.m.
TXDOT also offers inspections anytime at their office. You can make an appointment on their website.