The Keller Police Department is proud to be a part of the Interagency Child Safety Seat Task Force.  In conjunction with the Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Department of Public Safety and several other North Texas Police agencies, the Task Force conducts child safety seat checks at various locations throughout the Metroplex and North Texas.  For information regarding future Task Force events, contact Officer Mark Barrett at mbarrett@cityofkeller.com.

The Keller Police Department will conduct child safety seat checks for your vehicle.  Monday thru Friday You must make an appointment to have your seat checked. Walk-ins are welcome on Tuesdays at 10am. Please contact Officer Mark Barrett at mbarrett @cityofkeller.com or 817-883-8957 to make an appointment or with any questions.  Seat checks are conducted during normal business hours Monday through Friday barring any schedule conflicts.

Just The Facts On Child Safety Seats

Yes. Believe it or not, it's the short trips at low speeds that lead to the greatest number of crashes. About 75% of all crashes occur within 25 miles of home. In addition, about 40% of all fatal crashes occur on roads where the posted speed limit is 45 miles per hour or less. Low speed crashes or even a panic stop can cause serious injuries.

Isn't it safer for me to hold my child in my arms than use a safety seat?

No. For a child traveling in a motor vehicle, the most dangerous place to be held is in an adult's arms. This is often called the "child crusher position." In a crash of approximately 30 mph, a 10-pound infant will be ripped from a belted adult's arms with a force of almost 200 pounds. If the adult is not wearing a safety restraint, the child is likely to be crushed between the adult's body and the windshield, dashboard, or back of the front seat.

Won't my passenger-side air bag protect my child even better than a car seat?

No. The best place for a child safety seat is in the back seat. Never use a rear-facing infant safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle equipped with an air bag on the passenger side. Remember too, that children who are standing, kneeling, sitting on the edge of the passenger seat, or even sitting correctly in the seat (but unrestrained) in vehicles equipped with a passenger side air bag could be at risk of injury from an inflating air bag. Consult your owner's manual about the correct way to install child safety seats in your vehicle.

My child has special needs, so conventional child safety seats don't work.

There are child seats on the market that are designed especially for children with special needs, such as prematurity, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, respiratory problems, various types of casting, and other positioning challenges. You can learn more about these seats from your pediatrician, a nearby hospital or nonprofit groups who work with special needs children, including the Easterseals.

Three types of Child Safety Seats

• Infant Safety Seats:

Birth to 20 lbs. maximum. Some newer seats may have a higher weight capacity. Check your safety seat owner's manual for weight limitations. It must face the rear of your car. Never use an infant seat in the front seat if there is a passenger side air bag.

• Convertible Safety Seats:

Birth to 40 lbs. Must face rear until child is at least one year old and reaches 20 lbs. Face forward for 20 to 40 lbs. with safety seat harness.

• Booster Seats:

Texas Transportation Code 545.412

• Requires all children younger than 8 years old UNLESS already 4'9" tall, to be in the appropriate child safety seat restraint system (car seat/booster seat/safety vest) anywhere they sit in a passenger vehicle. 

• Restraint systems MUST be installed and used according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Proper use of child safety seats is critical:

• Infants must face the rear of the vehicle
• Babies over 20 lbs. and toddlers can face forward
• Seat must be secured with fastened safety belt or latch system
• Harness systems inside safety seats should be latched with harness clip at armpit level
• It is always safer to ride with the child in the center position if at all possible. Most infant and convertible seats have a higher weight limit for rear facing. It is best practice to keep the child rear facing as long as possible as rear facing is also the safest for your child.