As we gear up for another week of extreme cold, AAA is warning parents that bulky winter jackets can interfere with car seat safety.
Safety Advisor for AAA East Central Terri Anthony advises parents to limit the layers of padding and clothing between a child and their harnesses and belts. She suggests buckling kids in car seats without jackets first, and then covering them up with something like a blanket. This is a great safety tip to use when you are driving. For if you accidentally get into a car crash, then there can be serious consequences. If you are involved in an accident and it’s not your fault, then you could check out a website like keatinglaw.com to help you get the compensation that you deserve. There are loads of law firms that you can use though, so it might seem a bit overwhelming at first. The best thing that you can do for you is to do some research first to help you find the right lawyer for you. This might mean that you check out someone like these Prime Lawyers, however, the decision is up to you.
Other tips include warming up the car before you get in and keeping the kids’ car seat inside the house instead of in the cold vehicle.
Officials say when a seat belt is fitted over a puffy jacket, the jacket can compress in a crash and create a gap between the passenger and the seat belt. That gap is like a loose seat belt that can cause a passenger to slip through the restraint – or worse, be ejected from the seat. The same concept applies to children riding in booster seats and adults in seat belts. Harness straps should lay flat and not have any twists. The seat belt should be snug enough that you cannot pinch any extra webbing or strap material at the child’s shoulder.
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AAA East Central offers tips for safely buckling a child into their seat during the cold, winter months:
- Warm up the car before your trip. Passengers won’t feel the cold as much if the car is heated. This will allow passengers to wear seat belts comfortably without a jacket.
- Keep the seat inside. Keeping the car seat inside the house will keep it warm, thereby avoiding making the child cold when they are strapped in.
- Wear a thin coat in the car.Fleece outer wear is recommend because it is thin enough to work well under seat belts, yet warm enough to keep your child comfortable. Choose something more lightweight than a snow suit.
- Use a backward coat. Secure the child in the car seat without their coat on, and once the child is snugly strapped into the car seat, put their coat on them backwards or wrap them with a blanket. This method keeps the harness snug to the child and allows the child freedom to remove their coat if they get too warm.
- Blanket and hat if needed.After securing your child’s seat belt, just tuck a blanket around him or her. Never fit a seat belt over the blanket. Children can also wear a hat and or gloves to help keep warm.