Bulky Winter Coats Could Prevent Car Seats From Working, Pediatrics Warn

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It's hard enough bundling up your kids for this cold weather, but doctors want to make sure your child isn't too bundled to be safe in a car seat.

The American Academy of Pediatrics warns parents to make sure the straps on their car seats are snug.

A bulky winter coat can interfere with that, causing the child to slip out of their seats in a crash.

There is a way to test if your child's coat passes the test.

"The way we check for tightness is we shoudn't be able to take a tuck in the webbing. This is too loose. So what we will do is pull and snug it up, and you can see here that I can't take a pinch," Hennepin Healthcare nurse and trauma prevention specialist Julie Philbrook said.

Philbook says use your child's coat as a blanket over the straps. Then use a thinner option for car trips like layers and a fleece jacket.