Most parents don’t know that winter coats and car seats can be a deadly combination. An NHTSA crash-test lab in Michigan has shown that infants who are strapped into car seats when wearing winter coats may appear to be securely strapped in when they are actually dangerously loose.
BABY’S WINTER COAT MIGHT BE WARM… IT’S ALSO POTENTIALLY DEADLY IN AN AUTO CRASH.
According to highway safety experts, you must put your child into the baby seat securely WITHOUT their coat on. To keep baby warm, you may put the coat over them. Another good idea is to keep a blanket in the car for your infant.
With El Nino and cooler temperatures already upon us in Southern California, this advice is more relevant than ever.
Unfortunately, infants who are strapped into a child seat with their winter coats are subject to very high forces in an automobile crash. Without the proper protection of a snug seatbelt, they may be thrown right out of their coat and into the seat or dashboard ahead.
Interestingly, researchers say this advice also applies to adults. It’s a good idea to think twice before getting behind the wheel in that puffy jacket. You just might save a life.
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