Avoid Winter Coats Under Car Seat Harnesses, Tiverton Police Warn

TIVERTON, RI - While the coats and snow suits will keep children warm, some experts say it can also interfere with the proper harness fit of the child in their car seat. According to the Tiverton Police Department, wearing bulky clothes or winter coats can prevent a snug fit of the harness.

"You may think a child is secured in properly when, in fact, the harness is not tight enough," the police department posted on its official Facebook page. "During a crash all the material of the bulky winter coat will compress making the harness straps loose on the child. Thus, possibly making the child slip through the straps and come out of the child restraint."

As a general rule, winter coats should never be worn underneath a car seat harness. Most car seat technicians would recommend not putting anything thicker than a sweatshirt on your child. You can do a quick test to see if the straps to the car seat are holding the child in a coat:

• Step 1: Put the coat on the child. With the coat on, put them in the car seat, and fasten the harness. Tighten the harness until you can no longer pinch any of the webbing with your thumb and forefinger.
• Step 2: Without loosening the harness at all, unhook it and remove the child from the car seat. Take the coat off, put the child back in the car seat, and buckle the harness straps, which should be adjusted just as they were when the child was wearing the coat.

If you can pinch the webbing between your thumb and forefinger now, then the coat is too bulky to be worn under the harness, police warn. In the case the coat is too big, use a blanket or turn the child’s coat around and have them wear it backwards to keep them warm while in the car. Failing to remove the child's winter coat before strapping them into their car seat could put them at serious risk of injury or even death.