Remember the days when comedians would joke about how difficult it was to program a VCR? Perhaps the contemporary equivalent of that would be how confusing it can be to properly install a kid’s car seat. Or, as the Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDOT) calls it, a child passenger safety seat system. As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I’ve had people ask me to help them understand the confusing laws surrounding what kind of booster seat their children should be using, but just as confusing is how to actually install the seats as securely as they’re supposed to be.

The first thing you need to do is make sure that the car seat is the right size for your child’s age and weight. When it comes to installing the safety seat in your vehicle, however, I recommend that you closely follow the manual’s instructions, just like that confusing VCR you used to have. Pay particular attention to make sure that the seat’s lower anchors and any tethers are securely fastened. A properly installed car seat should have no give whatsoever. In order to secure the child seat as tightly as possible, have your spouse kneel in the center of the seat and press their weight down while you tighten the tether.

If in doubt, I highly recommend you visit a certified child safety seat expert who can inspect your handiwork and show you how to make any alternations. Lots of car dealerships now have at least one staff member who is certified so that they can help you safely transfer over the car seat once you purchase a new vehicle, but for your convenience, here’s a link to every child safety inspection station in Texas. Inspections are free.

As a Texas car wreck attorney, I believe it’s important that we each do what we can to make sure that our families are as safe as possible whenever we are on the road. Unfortunately there is little protection against negligent motorists that are either drunk or texting behind the wheel, but a little caution and consideration for safety could potentially save your life.

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