Winter Car Seat Safety |
How to keep your little one safe and snug in his car seat this season
It's the time of year when Canadians are donning down-filled jackets and snowsuits to keep warm in the bitter cold. But did you know that the some winter outerwear can be dangerous if worn in a car seat? Read on for tips to keep your little one safe and snug this chilly season.The compression factor
When a child is placed in a car seat with a bulky jacket the harness straps are loosened to accommodate the thick material. Even though the straps appear to be tight, in the event of a collision, the bulky jacket or snowsuit can become compressed, causing the child to be ejected from the car seat or incur injuries from the slack in the harness straps.Transport Canada issues this warning: Bulky snowsuits can affect the harness with respect to additional compressibility. When using winter clothing, ensure the harness system is tight, compressing the material to ensure a snug fit.
How safe are the insertable winter car seat bags that thread through the car seat's harnesses and are these safety-tested for use?
Transport Canada warns against using car seat bags: Any additional padding behind the child can induce both slack in the harness and additional compressibility. The Standard, which regulates children's restraint systems, only allows for a certain amount of compressibility in the foam and material used. By increasing this amount, during a collision the additional foam/material can compress to the point that the harness system becomes very loose and therefore no longer is capable of restraining the child.Child seat manufacturers state in their instructions not to use bulky clothing and never add anything between the shell of the restraint and the child. The padded car seat bag can re-route the harness system and add slack and increase compressibility. Check with the car seat manufacturer before using and ensure that the product does not compromise the harness routing path.
Also remember with all aftermarket products, there are no safety requirements applicable to these products in the Motor Vehicle Restraint Systems and Booster Cushions Safety Regulations. All manufacturers of child restraint systems and/or infant restraint systems state not to use any product that did not come with the restraint system unless manufactured specifically for that seat by the manufacturer themselves. This would also include head huggers and strap covers.
What about toddlers and preschoolers?
Samantha Johnson, mother of three and a child restraint systems technician in Edmonton, says, “My four-year old son wears a sweater in his car seat, and we bring his coat along. Even though it seems like a pain, it’s best for your child to take his coat off once he’s in the car.How do I know if my child's outerwear is too bulky?
Put your child in his car seat with his winter jacket on and fasten and tighten the harnesses. If you can fit more than one finger between the strap and your child’s collarbone once the jacket is removed, the straps are too loose and the coat is too bulky. Finding a thinner jacket specifically for use while in the car is the safest option and you can take along a heavier coat for when you need it out of the vehicle.Source Transport Canada
About the Author
-
.jpg)
Cara Miller
Cara Miller is a mother of 4, and Certified Child Restraint Systems Technician from Saint John, NB. If you have Car seat related questions she can be reached at: carseatcara@gmail.com Learn more about Cara Miller
Hot Topics
Who's Online
Become a Fan
Follow Us
Gerald Ahronheim, MD | March 17, 2011 at 7:25 pm - §
As a pediatrician and recently new grandfather, I wish to challenge the statements regarding bulky jackets and the risk of a baby being ejected from a car seat. Even with a bulky -- e.g. down-insulated -- winter jacket on the baby, the proper use of an appropriate restraining harness (with shoulder- and cross-chest straps, properly buckled and snugly tightened) in a correctly installed high-quality car seat, there is virtually no chance of a baby being "ejected" from the car seat.I have discussed this with the director of the trauma service at the Montreal Children's Hospital, who agrees with me that this is the case.I think the statement to this effect is in error and misleading, and should be revised. If you have any current and authoritative references to the contrary, I would be very interested in reading them.Thank you for your interest and, in advance, for your reply.
Cara | April 5, 2011 at 10:07 am - §
Dr Ahronheim, Thanks for your response but as a CRST I have to respectfully disagree with you. Bulky clothes can compress in a crash and their tightness can be very misleading to a parent. This video demonstrates how wearing a winter jacket gives parents a false sense of tightness. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNGT9eBL_gg&feature=related OR http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM1LJaOIu34) A baby or child may not be fully "ejected" but the harness is what holds them into their child restraints, if that bulky jacket (which often are made from very slippery material) compresses or moves in a collision or crash a child could slip out or be thrust too far forward increasing the chances of head, neck and spine injuries. To me this is a potential risk that parents should be made aware of and I will not revise it. This not something new either, it's been in the news and recommended by Transport Canada for many years: (http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2007/12/19/car-seat.html?ref=rss)
Nick Seidenman | October 18, 2011 at 8:20 am - §
I agree with the good doctor and the Montreal Children's Hospital trauma unit. The videos cited, above, do not provide any technical evidence or demonstration of this so-called compression factor. What they do is completely negate the bulk of the winter clothing claiming that this is the same as what will happen in the event of a collision. Error
Joanna | October 27, 2011 at 8:14 am - §
So if my baby is not to wear a jacket in the carseat or be in one of those bags, how should she travel in the winter? I’m very confusedThanks!
Sara | November 15, 2011 at 10:40 pm - §
The youtube video that was cited was completely ameteur without any factual statistics or studies.... not to mention the cbc report cited is four years old. Perhaps the cushions on the straps should be removed as well to avoid compression risks??
Jenn | January 25, 2012 at 8:51 am - §
There are car seat bags that can go over infant car seats (not the 3 in 1 type). By using this, your child will stay very warm and you can also place a blanket over the child after they are buckled into the car seat. The "bag" zips up (for ease to put the child into the seat) and it has an opening, with a flap that can cover it, for the child's face. That way, if you want, they can be completely covered from the cold. By using the bag that is placed OVER the car seat instead of one of the bags that are placed IN the car seat or bulky winter clothing, you don't have to worry about who is right in the safe vs not safe debate, and you can know your child is warm. I live in Canada and my baby has been warm the whole winter. I was skeptical that the covering would keep her warm at first, but she has never been cold, or even cool yet...in fact, sometimes she is too warm. Again this is only for infant carriers...for the other car seats, I have no good answer, sorry.