Winter is officially here and we need to consider how we bundle up our bundle children in their car seats. The primary purpose of the car seat is to keep our young child properly buckled up during travel. The requirements in the cold weather to keep the child warm for the weather might compromise the safety requirement of a car seat harness. Bulky coats and even thin winter coats are considered unsafe when worn by a child in a 5-point harness. The reason behind this is that the bulk of the coat will deceive you in thinking that the child was buckled snugly enough to keep them safe..
This specific video shows how different the snugness of the harness (with and without) the thin winter coat without adjusting or loosening the straps. With the winter coat on, the child seemed properly buckled in using one finger test or pinch test. However, when the child was removed from the car seat without loosening the straps and removed his winter coat and put him back in, the harness was very loose that it allows the arms of the mother to slide under the harness and the child can get their arms out. In accidents, the winter coat can be compressed hard enough that will provide a space for a child to come off the car seat and expose him to greater harm.
There are other options recommended to mothers instead of buckling them in with their winter coats on. Here are some alternatives to winter coats:
- Instead of making the child wear a winter coat, use a blanket to keep them warm.
- Have the child wear a fleece jacket such as polar fleece or performance fleece. This type of jacket is warm, soft, comfortable and considered safe for harness car seat.
- Make your child wear thermal or long underwear under regular clothing before buckling him in. Thermal underwear is quite useful for extremely cold weather.
- Contemplate using warm ponchos.The child can wear a poncho then flip the back up over the top of the car seat and buckle them under the poncho.
- Wool blankets should be made available in the car during winter months. This is a contingency measure in case your family will be stranded in the road because of the snow and in the event that you cannot rely on the heat in the car. You can drape the blanket over your child in a car seat provided that they are sufficiently dress underneath. If you have extra money, get a below-freezing rated sleeping bag as an added measure.
- Put the winter coat on backwards. Buckle first the child properly then put the coat on over the harness.
- The child can wear gloves and hat for added warmth. These items are safe since they do not interfere with the harness.
Good Guys Injury Law believes that parents will want the best for their children and that the child’s safety is a top priority. We appreciate this kind of safety tips for children that are based on someone’s actual practice or habit. We hope more mothers will share the best practices in child care and child safety that they have found out to be effective and trustworthy.
Parents’ compliance with the Booster Seat Law is a commendable action. In the State of Utah children under the age of eight must be secured in a booster seat or a child restraint. This means that there is a greater chance of making this a daily habit. In the long run, this will translate to a greater number of Utahn children having a higher chance of receiving a safe journey on our roads.
Good Guys Injury Law hopes this practice will be complemented with obedience to traffic rules and sharing the road. Do not drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Avoid distracted driving in all forms because the car that you might collide with or involve in an accident may have children as passengers.
Our children are precious to us. We exert effort, time, and resources just to provide them with the best care. But what if your child sustained personal injuries because someone chooses to be reckless or negligent, what will be your options? Good Guys Injury Law believes in just compensation. Call us at (801)-506-0800 for a free initial consultation. Let our dedicated personal injury lawyers champion your case.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay