Securing your children properly in age and size appropriate child-safety seats, in the back seat of your vehicle, is the most effective thing you can do to protect them in the event of a crash. In fact, in motor vehicle crashes, child safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers.

That's why Texas AgriLife Extension agent, Neal Alexander, is urging all parents and caregivers to attend the child safety seat checkup event on Wednesday, April 3, 2013. Certified technicians will be available to provide on-site child safety seat inspections and education from 10:00a.m.-1:00p.m. at First Baptist Church, corner of 3rd and Wallace Street, San Saba, TX.

Among child passengers under age 5, child restraints saved the lives of an estimated 309 children in 2009 alone. Over the period 1975 through 2010 an estimated 9,611 lives were saved by child restraints (child safety seats or adult seat belts). Unfortunately, 41% of children killed in crashes are found to be unrestrained. Because child safety seats do save lives, every state requires their use. Even so, motor vehicle traffic crashes remain the leading cause of death for children ages 14 and under.

Even though the majority of parents buckle up their children in child safety seats, booster seats, or seat belts, most do not use them correctly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 3 out of 4 child safety seats are not used properly, which is a grave risk when traveling.

For a child safety seat to do its job right, it has to be:

• Appropriate for your child's age and size;

• Installed properly in your vehicle; and

• Adjusted to fit your child securely.

If you're a parent or caregiver, don't miss this opportunity to have a free child safety seat inspection by a certified child passenger safety technician. Technicians can provide hands-on advice and instruction. Make sure your children are safe and you are in compliance with the current child safety seat law in Texas. The law, which took effect on September 1, 2009, requires all children under 8, unless taller than 4'-9", to be in a child safety seat system which includes traditional child safety seats with harnesses and booster seats.

Remember: All child passengers under age 13 should ride securely restrained in the back seat, where they are safest -- every trip, every time. To locate a certified child passenger safety technician in Texas, visit http://buckleup.tamu.edu.