JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – We tend to bundle our children up to keep them warm in the winter, but a bulky coat and a car seat can be a dangerous combination.
But there is an easy way to check to see if your child’s coat is too puffy or bulky.
First, secure them in their car seat and make sure there is no slack in the straps.
Then, remove the coat and put them back in. If the straps are loose, there’s a problem.
“In a crash, if he was still wearing his coat, his coat would compress. All that puffiness would compress, leaving this extra room, which gives him additional room to move and potentially move outside the safety of his car seat, which would increase his risk of injury,” Consumer Reports car seat expert Emily Thomas said.
So what should you do?
Consumer Reports recommends securing your child into the seat, and then putting a blanket or coat on top of the harness.
For older kids, you could put their coat sleeves on backward after they are harnessed in.
“I know that it can be challenging, but the sooner you start with these types of safety practices, the sooner it becomes the norm,” Thomas said. “Now he’s so used to taking his coat off, that he doesn’t even like to wear his coat under his harness. He’s the one who takes his coat off.”
Consumer Reports says that in addition to not having your child wear a coat in the car, it’s important to always make sure that your child is properly harnessed. You should not be able to pinch any fabric, and their chest clip should always be at armpit level.