AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle (CCTXP) has joined the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to educate parents on the ways to properly install a car seat in a vehicle to ensure safety and peace of mind, CCTXP announced.

CCTXP officials detailed that the child safety seat event will take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday in the parking lot of CCTXP, located at 2004 N Spring St., as TxDOT technicians will be available to demonstrate the proper installation method. In addition, low-income families will have the opportunity to receive a new car seat at no cost.

Officials noted that space for the event will be limited with only a handful of technicians available at the time of the event. Children must with their parents to establish the proper fit of the car seat and interpreters will be made available.

According to TxDOT, “46% of child safety seats are misused and in 2021, 78 children under the age of eight were killed in traffic crashes in Texas.” In addition, 22 of those children were not restrained at the time of the crash.

Among children aged eight to 12, according to TxDOT, “36 were killed in crashes on Texas roadways,” with around a third unrestrained.

Visit cctxp.org for more information on the event along with further resources and volunteer opportunities.