Winter Car Seat Safety

Baby, it’s cold outside! While you may have a set routine of putting on your coat, hat, boots, and gloves before leaving the house, what should you do with a new baby or child?

We all want to keep kids warm, but when kids wear a coat in their car seat, it often makes the harness too loose. A harness that isn’t snug won’t protect them as well. Save the puffy coats for playgrounds and playing in the snow, and use these tips for staying warm and safe in the car.

Babies

• Once they’re securely fastened into their car seat, put a blanket over them. It’s okay to tuck the blanket around their sides, as long as it doesn’t go underneath their body or the harness straps, and it’s kept away from their face.
• If you want to use an aftermarket cover - one that fits around an infant carrier and may have a zip closure or elastic to keep the cold out - make sure it’s approved by the manufacturer of your specific car seat.
• A thin, fitted sweater or thin fleece jacket with a blanket or cover should do the trick in most climates. A fleece sleeper or pajamas also work well.

Toddlers and Young Children

• Once they’re securely fastened into their car seat or booster seat, put the coat on them backwards. Their arms can go in the sleeves and the back of the coat will be covering their body like a blanket on top of the harness. Once you’ve reached your destination, they can put their coat on normally before leaving the car.
• Just like for babies, a thin, fitted sweater or thin fleece jacket or pajamas with a blanket or cover should do the trick in most climates for toddlers and young kids too.

Big Kids

• Kids in boosters and seat belts need their belt snug against their body just like they did when they were in a car seat. You may be able to have them unzip their coat to get the seat belt in contact with their shoulder - or take their coat off completely and use a blanket instead.
• It’s important to make sure that the lap belt is underneath the waist of the coat, too.

Teens and Adults

• Lift the bottom of your coat so the lap belt is close to your hips.
• If your coat has a puffy collar or hood, unzip the coat so the shoulder belt is close to your chest, under your coat. You don’t want a collar or hood pushing the shoulder belt off your shoulder.

If you’re going to warm up your car, drive it onto the driveway or street and close the garage door. Warming your car up in the garage - even with the garage door open - can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning for people in the car, garage, and house, if it’s attached to the garage. If your car is parked outside, consider leaving your child inside with a trusted adult while you clear the snow and ice off. If that’s not possible, make sure they have a blanket or coat to stay warm in their car seat while you clean the car.