Baby, it’s cold outside! Keeping your child bundled up and warm is important -but puffy coats and snow suits can be dangerous in a car seat. Fortunately, there are things you can do to keep your kids both safe and warm!
Use these tips to help keep your kids riding safely during the winter:
Cold Weather Car Seat Safety Tips
DO’s
Do dress your child in a fleece jacket for the ride. It will allow for proper tightening of the harness or seatbelt and keep your child warm enough for a car ride. You can put their winter coat on backwards after properly fitting them in the car seat harness.
Do keep your infant warm with well-fitted layers of clothing and a cover that goes only over the top of the seat after baby is harnessed properly in their car seat. No part of the cover should go behind the baby’s back, head or between their body and the harness. Be mindful of overheating once the car is warmed up.
Do remember to be a model of good behavior for older kids and always wear your seatbelt. During the winter, road conditions can change quickly!
DON’Ts
Do not keep your child’s heavy, bulky coat on while riding in the car seat or booster. This includes puffy coats and jackets. The bulk of the coat will not allow you to completely tighten the harness straps or seatbelt. This can put your child at risk in the event of a crash.
Do not buckle the harness around a swaddled baby. It interferes with the proper harness fit. Buckle your baby in the harness and tuck blankets over the top for extra warmth, ensuring the blanket does not come near their face.
Great blog! Great writer!
Do you provide those carseat classes anymore the ones where you receive a carseat at the end?
Thanks for the question. Yes, community car seat classes are available to low/medium-income families. Qualified caregivers who pre-register and attend the class are eligible to receive a free car seat. For more information, visit this page on our website and click on “Community Car Seat Class.”
You can also follow our Comprehensive Children’s Injury Center Facebook page, which is where we post flyers when/where we are holding a class.