Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Passenger Safety KidSafe Initiatives

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Passenger Safety KidSafe Initiatives The Official page for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Passenger Safety and KidSafe Initiatives

The Passenger Safety Project, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation provides valuable traffic safety information and education to people throughout Texas. The goal of the project is to reduce motor vehicle fatalities and injuries and their associated costs. The project’s primary focus is on increasing child restraint and safety belt usage.

All team members are certified child safety seat technicians and/or instructors. In addition to programming in traffic safety, Passenger Safety conducts the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s standardized child passenger safety certification trainings. The training provides individuals the opportunity to become certified as child passenger safety technicians or instructors. Public Notification: https://www.tamus.edu/marcomm/socialmedia/public/
Accessibility Guidelines: https://www.tamus.edu/marcomm/socialmedia/accessibility-guidelines/
Content Moderation Guidelines: https://www.tamus.edu/marcomm/socialmedia/content-moderation-guidelines/
Employee Use & Engagement Guidelines: https://www.tamus.edu/marcomm/socialmedia/employee-guidelines/

09/08/2026

Happy National Teddy Bear Day!

Our favorite Teddy Bear, Buckle Bear, has some important information to share with you and your family! (Spoiler: The back seat is the safest place for kids to be!)

Riding in the back seat isn't only safest, it's the reccomendation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Share this with your family members and friends as a reminder that children under 13 should ride be in the back seat in an appropriate car seat for their size or the seatbelt if they're able to get an appropriate fit with a booster seat or with the seatbelt itself!

This Labor Day, let’s talk about teamwork. 🇺🇸🚗Keeping kids safe on the road isn’t just a child’s job—it starts with the ...
09/07/2026

This Labor Day, let’s talk about teamwork. 🇺🇸🚗

Keeping kids safe on the road isn’t just a child’s job—it starts with the adults in the vehicle.

Research shows that when caregivers buckle up, children are much more likely to buckle up, too. In fact, one study found that children were 35 times more likely to be restrained when the driver was wearing a seat belt than when the driver wasn’t.

That’s a pretty powerful reminder: our kids are watching what we do.

So this Labor Day, make safety a team effort:

🧑‍✈️ Driver? Buckle up.
👩‍👧 Caregiver? Buckle up.
🧒 Child? Buckle up in the right car seat, booster seat, or seat belt.
🚗 Everyone in the vehicle? Buckle up. Every trip. Every time.

Because when it comes to road safety, everyone has a job.

Happy Labor Day—and remember, the car doesn't move until everyone is buckled!

Happy National Read a Book Day!When it comes to car seats there's two very important books for you to read: your car sea...
09/06/2026

Happy National Read a Book Day!

When it comes to car seats there's two very important books for you to read: your car seat's manual and your vehicle's manual. Each book has lifesaving, important information about how to install your car seat, where tether locations are and if any of your seating positions has any types of limitations that might make it where you can't install a car seat there.

We know these books aren't on the New York Times Best Sellers List, but we do think they should be on every parent and caregiver's must read list. But, if you're having a hard time with all the technical language, reach out to our team or to a Child Passenger Safety Technician at bit.ly/SafeKidsTechSearch to help you make sure your child is riding safely!

We’ve come a long way—but physics still hasn't changed.Vehicles are safer than they used to be. Car seats have improved ...
09/05/2026

We’ve come a long way—but physics still hasn't changed.

Vehicles are safer than they used to be. Car seats have improved technology. Crash-testing, engineering, and safety technology continue to evolve.

But surviving a crash doesn’t mean an unsafe practice was safe. That’s what is called survivor bias, where we remember the times nothing happened and forget the times the outcome was very different.

No matter how tough the truck, how new the vehicle, or how strong the car seat, physics still applies in a crash.

That’s why children should always ride in a designated seating position with the appropriate restraint, not in the bed of a pickup truck.

And in Texas, there’s a law to back that up: Texas Transportation Code §545.414 prohibits operating an open-bed pickup or flatbed truck when a child younger than 18 is occupying the bed.

The safest ride isn't the one where nothing happened last time. It’s the one where we make the safest choice every time.

Because technology changes. Vehicles change. Car seats change. Physics doesn't.

Wildlife belongs in the wild or at the zoo, not in your back seat! Everyone in your vehicle, especially your backseat pa...
09/04/2026

Wildlife belongs in the wild or at the zoo, not in your back seat!

Everyone in your vehicle, especially your backseat passengers should be buckled up in a seat that is appropriate for their age, height, weight and development level. Double check that your child is still within the weight and height limits of your car seat and if they've out grown it, reach out to a child passenger safety technician on our team or through bit.ly/SafeKidsTechSearch to find out what your next step should be to keep your child safe on the roads!

School is back in full swing, but just because they're in a new grade doesn't necessarily mean that they need a new car ...
09/02/2026

School is back in full swing, but just because they're in a new grade doesn't necessarily mean that they need a new car seat!

Every carseat on the market should have information stickers or tags on them that show the lowest and highest weight and height for each mode. Using that carseat to the maximum weight or height of that seat allows for your child to get the most safety out of that car seat.

Each time we graduate a child (from rear-facing to forward facing or forward facing to a seatbelt) we remove a layer of protection. As a parent, there are so few times that we actually get to choose how safe our children are, but in the vehicle, we have that ability.

Child Passenger Safety Technicians are here to help you make sure that your child's car seat is appropriate, fits properly and is installed properly. They're not here to install the seat for you, but to help you learn to install it and be comfortable installing it after the appointment!

Meet with a Child Passenger Safety Technician by searching bit.ly/SafeKidsTechSearch or if you're in Texas, see if we have a Car Seat Fitting Station near you by checking out buckleup.tamu.edu!

09/02/2026

Child Passenger Safety Technicians educate on the Gold Standard of Safety when it comes to children in a vehicle, there are a few things that we see in vehicles that we reccomend not using (and we promise its for a good reason.)

Mirrors can become a projectile in the event of a crash. There have also been reports of mirrors burning holes or scorching car seats. While the packaging may say they're crash tested, there's no federally regulated testing for these products.

Fans can also become a projectile during a crash. If your car's backseat gets hot, talk with a Child Passenger Safety Technician about some safer options for your child!

Sunshades? You guessed it, can become a projectile during a crash, but can also affect how your airbags work in a crash, especially the side curtain airbags meant to protect your child. There are other alternatives that are reccomended and cost effective and a CPST can help you find what the best option for your family is.

Toys. Now we're really sounding like party-poopers right? Toys that attach to the car seat have the potential to affect how the car seat would work during a crash. Most owners manuals share to not add anything to the car seat, including toys, and when we educate on the gold standard of safety, we always share this with caregivers!

The safest way for your child to ride in the car is in a properly adjusted and installed car seat! Find a child passenger safety technician at bit.ly/SafeKidsTechSearch or if you're in Texas, reach out to our team! We're happy to help you find a local fitting station or technician!

Just because fall is around the corner (and we're getting a small reprieve from this heatwave) doesn't mean that we shou...
08/31/2026

Just because fall is around the corner (and we're getting a small reprieve from this heatwave) doesn't mean that we should stop checking the back seat before leaving our vehicles.

Hot car deaths (pediatric vehicular heatstroke) can happen on days that are as cool as 60ºF, and unfortunately in Texas, we're still far from those days. Any time you leave your vehicle, Stop. Look. Lock.

Checking the back seat and the cargo area of any vehicle is one HUGE step you can take to keep your children safe and protected against pediatric vehicular heatstroke.

Just because the law says your child can ride in a seatbelt doesn't mean that they're ready! Children should be able to ...
08/29/2026

Just because the law says your child can ride in a seatbelt doesn't mean that they're ready!

Children should be able to pass the seat belt test before riding without a booster in a vehicle.

So what is "The Seat Belt Test?" 🚗

Your child may be ready to ride without a booster when all of these things are true:

1. Back against the seat — Their back rests comfortably against the vehicle seat.
2. Knees bend at the edge — Their knees bend naturally at the edge of the seat without slouching.
3. Feet on the floor — Their feet can touch the vehicle floor.
4. Lap belt is low — The lap belt lies snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach.
5. Shoulder belt fits properly — The shoulder belt crosses the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or face.

6. And the biggest test: Can they stay in this position for the entire ride?

If not, they're still safer in a booster seat.

Many booster seats have weight limits of 100+ pounds and height limits of 57" giving most children years of time riding safer in a booster seat with proper seat belt fit to protect them in the event of a crash.

Recall Alert!Britax Child Safety, Inc. is recalling certain B-Safe Gen 2, B-Safe Gen 2 Flexfit, B-Safe Gen 2 Flexfit Plu...
08/28/2026

Recall Alert!

Britax Child Safety, Inc. is recalling certain B-Safe Gen 2, B-Safe Gen 2 Flexfit, B-Safe Gen 2 Flexfit Plus, B-Safe 35, B-Safe Ultra, and Endeavours child seats. A screw in the child seat carrying handle may come loose, causing the handle to partially detach.

The carry handle may detach on one side, creating a fall hazard and potential risk of injury to the child. The condition is expected to be readily detectable by caregivers during normal use, as the handle may visibly separate and/or feel loose before any potential detachment.

The remedy is currently under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed by October 19, 2026. Owners may contact Britax customer service at 888-427-4829.

For more information check out the Recall Notification: bit.ly/britaxcarryhandle

Address

2251 TAMU
College Station, TX
77843

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+19798624658

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