CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Car seats work. Just ask Mandy Watson who was in a head-on crash with her 11-month-old and 5-year-old as they were going to lunch more than a decade ago.
“Immediately after the crash, I climbed in the back seat,” she said. “In that moment I knew it worked. I knew their car seats did everything they were supposed to do, because they were still intact, still in place, and I could hear my babies crying.”
Watson had been trained to properly secure her children in their car seats, thus preventing an unthinkable tragedy. That kind of training is exactly what TxDOT’s “Save Me With a Seat” campaign will aim to teach parents during National Child Passenger Safety Week, which begins Monday.
“It’s extremely important that parents schedule a car seat check today,” said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. “Ensuring car seats are installed correctly is one of the most important things a parent or caregiver can do to protect the smallest occupants in a crash.”
This latest campaign invites parents to schedule a free car seat safety check by visiting SaveMeWithASeat.org. Driscoll Children’s Hospital will be accepting appointments for parents who want to make sure their car seats are installed properly. Certified technicians will be available to check car seats free of charge.
For more information, call DCH’s Injury Prevention Program at (361) 694-7600.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 46 percent of all car seats are misused.
With the “Save Me With a Seat” campaign, drivers are reminded that Texas law requires all children under 8 — or shorter than 4-9 — to be in a car seat while in a vehicle. Anyone who is found to have broken this law can get a ticket of up to $250.
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