AgriLife Extension to conduct free child passenger safety seat checks Sept. 23
Writer: Rod Santa Ana, 956-878-8317, r-santaana@tamu.edu
Contact: Joanne Ureste, 956-383-1026, Joanne.Ureste@ag.tamu.edu
WESLACO — Children don’t do well in car accidents, and according to statistics from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, auto accidents are one of the leading causes of death for children.
As part of National Child Passenger Safety Week Sept. 18-23, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is offering parents help in keeping their children safe on the road.
“The numbers are so sad,” said Joanne Ureste, the AgriLife Extension family resources agent for Hidalgo County. “Children are at a much greater risk than adults in a vehicle crash. Studies show that, on average, every 33 seconds one child under the age of 13 in the U.S. is involved in a crash and nearly two children are killed, with over 300 injured. That happens every 33 seconds, every day.”
The same studies show that child safety seats reduce the risk of a fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers. Unfortunately, three out of four car seats are used incorrectly, which can lead to injuries or fatalities.
In Texas last year, those same studies showed less than half of the children killed in car accidents were restained.
“Car safety seats can be life savers, but only if they’re used properly,” Ureste said. “Too many people don’t use them correctly or don’t know how to use them correctly. It’s all about knowing how to install your child safety seat in your vehicle for your child.”
To help parents learn, AgriLife Extension will conduct free child passenger safety seat checks from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 23 at the Villa Sandoval-Longoria, 1102 Lilia Drive in Weslaco.
The site is at the Hidalgo County Housing Authority complex, located behind McCoy’s Building Supply on U.S. Expressway 83 in Weslaco at the intersection of N. Border Ave.
“It’s best that parents contact us to set up an appointment,” Ureste said. “If car seats do not meet safety standards, parents may have the opportunity to receive a free car seat. And it’s best to have car seats checked annually.”
To make an appointment, call Elizabeth Saldivar, the housing authority program coordinator, at 956-969-2944 or Ureste at 956-383-1026.
Inspections will be conducted by certified child passenger safety technicians.
The free car seats will be provided while supplies last by the Safe Riders Traffic Safety Program, sponsored by the Texas Department of State Health Services in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation.