Waco, TX (FOX 44) — Waco Police is encouraging guardians and parents to make sure their child car seats are safely secured before its too late.
In May alone, Waco PD has reported two crashes involving a child being knocked outside the vehicle.
The reported crash on May 18 left the child dead.
“Car seat safety and seatbelt safety alone can really save your life if you ever are in a car crash, said Waco PD PIO Cierra Shipley. “That is why we always say it’s so important to make sure that you secure that car seat properly.”
Shipley says its important to have a car seat which properly fits a child’s size.
“As they grow, they grow into a booster seat or a seat belt, but just make sure that you’re following those rules properly and to make sure you secure the car seat properly,” said Shipley.
Allison O’Cnnor with the City of Temple says rear facing child seats are the safest to install for children until they’re at least two years old.
O’Connor says there’s different ways to hook it up.
“Please make sure you’re installing the seat, using a seat belt or a latch system but not both,” said O’Connor.
O’Connor says a good way to test the car seat is to move it around.
If there’s too much movement in the seat, it can possibly injure your child.
“There can be too much movement in the case of an accident which could cause additional injuries to the child’s neck and spine,” said O’Connor.
O’Connor says its best to have no more than one inch of seatbelt slack on the car seat.
If you ever have any questions on if you properly installed your car seat, you can call Waco PD or the Temple Fire Department and they’ll come check it out and fix it if there’s any problems.