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, Karen DeZarn, is urging all parents and caregivers to attend the child safety seat and booster seat checkup event on Thursday, April 19. Certified technicians will be available to provide on-site child safety seat inspections and education from 12:30-2:30 at the First Baptist Church, 402 S. Key Street, Lampasas, TX.Among child passengers under age 5, child restraints saved the lives of an estimated 244 children in 2008 alone. From 1975 through 2008, restraints (child safety seats and adult seat belts) are credited with saving the lives of 8,959 children. 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 age 3 and older.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 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; •Adjusted to fit your child securely.If you're a parent or caregiver, don't miss this opportunity to have a free child safety inspection by a certified child passenger safety instruction. Technicians can provide hands-on advice and intruction. 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 certified child passenger safety technicians in Texas, visit http://buckleup.tamu.edu.