During Child Passenger Safety Week, Texas is offering free car seat inspections to reduce common installation mistakes.
Here's what to know
According to KGNS, parents and caregivers can schedule no-cost inspections with a safety specialist at the nearest TxDOT office September 20 through 26 via the Texas Department of Transportation's "Love My Car Seat" campaign for Child Passenger Safety Week.
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that 46% of car seats are installed incorrectly or used improperly. In Texas, traffic crashes killed 69 children younger than 13 and seriously injured another 583 in 2025.
Texas law requires children under 8 to ride in a child safety or booster seat unless they are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall, and fines for not securing them properly can reach $250.
More background
Car seat safety can be more complicated than it seems, and installation mistakes are often unintentional. Parents and caregivers may be using the right seat but install it too loosely, position the harness incorrectly, or move a child into a booster too early.
Statewide inspection programs give families a chance to get hands-on help from safety specialists who can spot problems before they become an emergency.
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A free check can reassure new parents, grandparents, babysitters, and anyone else who regularly transports children, especially as kids grow and need different seat setups over time.
Where can I learn more?
Families with children thinking about safety on the road, or those in the market for a new vehicle, may also want to read about related transportation issues, from available discounts to new safety features.
• Target lets families trade in outgrown seats for a discount on new gear.
• Ford says seat belt defects may cause injuries in nearly 420,000 recalled SUVs.
• Across U.S. roads, bright headlights are creating hazards for passengers, including kids in backseats.
• Tesla added new parental safety controls that can help families monitor young drivers.
• Parents warn that oversized American trucks feel dangerous on streets where children ride and walk.
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