It’s been a long time since I’ve had to put my girls in their car seats; however, I do remember that during the winter months, they were usually wearing winter coats and snow pants. My wife and I wanted to make sure they were warm when we transported them between our house and daycare. We also wanted them dressed appropriately in case our car broke down. This meant I had to loosen up the safety straps so they’d fit in the seat.
Today, safety experts recommend putting children in their car seats without their winter coats. Doesn’t this seem counter intuitive? After all, it is winter.
On the “Today” show, Jeff Rossen did a segment on car seat dangers during the winter. He visited a crash test lab in Michigan. His segment shows the dramatic results of a car crash at 30 mph with a crash dummy inappropriately strapped in because of a puffy winter coat. Miriam Manary, who operates the lab, explains the proper way to strap in a child during the winter months. She recommends strapping them in without a coat. To keep them warm she suggests using a blanket or putting on their jacket backwards.
If you’re expecting your first child and haven’t picked out your car seat, check out the information at Safe Kids Worldwide.
For additional safety tips, visit the resources below.
http://www.kidsandcars.org/
http://www.safekids.org/tip/car-seat-tips
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