Life
Why Kids Should Never Wear Coats In Car Seats
The number of year-end holiday travelers is expected to reach record highs this year, and with not quite ideal road conditions, safety will be especially important. When thinking about precautions to take this season, surprising new tests show that letting kids wear coats in car seats is dangerous. While we know to be mindful on the road, and keep our seat belts fastened, this is one very common mistake that almost every parent is guilty of. When the temperatures drop in the winter, we often wear our coats in the car, but it’s better to blast the heat and sweat it out according to new crash tests done by The Today Show.
Puffy coats can create the illusion that the car seat harness is secure and that the child is strapped in tight. However, when The Today Show conducted a crash test at 30 miles per hour, the difference was shocking. The coat compressed and created an unsafe gap between the seat belt and the passenger — the crash test dummy terrifyingly careening out of the car seat. Parents want to make sure that their little one is snugly but comfortably buckled in the car seat without a coat.
To ensure safety, the child should be placed in the back middle seat, which is the safest place in the car, away from all air bags. According to the Mayo Clinic, there shouldn’t be any slack in the buckled straps, so that you are able to pinch the material, and the shoulder clip should be at armpit level. The Department of Motor Vehicles recommends that “Buckling children in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, and seat belts reduces the risk of serious and fatal injury.” And if you think your child is too old for a booster seat, risk of injury was cut nearly in half for children four through eight, compared to those using a seat belt alone. If you need more proof to "mind the gap," just check out the difference between the two crash tests.
The Crash Test With A Coat:
The Crash Test Without A Coat:
If your child is cold with out the coat, they can always wear their jacket backwards over the harness, or keep a cozy blanket in the car.
To check out the entire safety update watch the full video here:
Happy holidays and drive safe!
