There have been new changes in the car seat safety laws. Most citizens from Tyler know about the old law of having to be at least 5 years or at least 36 inches tall. But there has not been too much information given out to Tyler parents about the new law of a child being at least 8 years old to ride in a car without a car seat or booster seat.
If your child is under age 8, then yes he or she needs to be in a car seat. This is the Texas State Law now, not just a recommendation but the law. Violation of this law is a misdemeanor and you can receive a fine of up to $250. The child needs to be restrained in the car seat during operation of the vehicle.
There are different types of car seats for different stages that your child grows through. First of all there’s the infant car seat, which is for infants from birth to 22 pounds. The infant car seat should be at a 45 degree angle and is rear facing only. The next stage is the toddler car seat. This car seat is usually for children up to 65 pounds. The toddler car seats are forward facing with a harness. There is a transition car seat that can be used for an infant and a toddler car seat which may be more affordable. The next car seat, which may be what you need to go buy for your older child that is not quite 8 yet, is the booster seat. The booster seat is for school aged children up to about 90 pounds. The booster seat raises the child up so he or she fits properly in the seat belt. If the seat belt does not fit properly your child can be severely harmed in a car crash from the seat belt itself, which is probably why the Texas law changed to children under age 8 being in a car seat. Remember that a car seat should always be in the backseat which is the safest place for children.
An infant carrier should never be used as a bed. A recent study has shown that when newborns sleep in a car seat that it can cause mild repertory problems (in one out of five newborns) and they don’t receive the proper amount of oxygen. So only use the car seat while traveling and never use it for your infant’s bed all night long.
Check to make sure there hasn’t been a recall on your car seat. Many companies have been manufacturing car seats so that they are more affordable to the average family. But I think as a result some of the car seats were not made very sturdy. For an example Evenflo recalled one of their car seats after 679 reports were filed, because it wasn’t manufactured correctly resulting in infants skulls being fractured, concussions, wrongful death etc. Evenflo has many safe car seats as well as Graco (I use both of these brands) but be sure your car seat has not been recalled or expired. Expired, you ask? Yes, every car seat has an expiration date (should be on the bottom) and should not be used after the expiration date.
If your child has been killed or injured as a result of a malfunctioned car seat then call a Tyler attorney. You may have grounds for filing a products liability lawsuit. Tyler has some of the best attorneys in Texas and they work hard for you. I’m sure no parent wants to go through a lawsuit after their child has been hurt but it is important that the truth be revealed about unsafe car seats and a Tyler attorney will help you all the way.