We have posted this long posting before, but this information is very important for Car Seat Users with winter coming. Please share with your friends and family. Also hit like below so others see it. You never know, someone may read this and it may save the most precious cargo, a child. Winter Safety Reminders for Car Seat Users Did you know there is a great deal of air trapped within the padding of winter coats and blankets? In an accident, the force of the impact causes the winter coat to compress, squeezing out all the air. The result is that the straps of the harness have too much slack and no longer secures your child as was intended by the car seat manufacturer. The five point harness is intended to stay close to your childs body at all times. When the harness has slack, the child is at greater risk for sustaining injuries. In extreme cases, infants have been completely ejected from their car seat while the winter coat was found left still secured within the functioning clasps of the harness. To illustrate the idea, think of the commercials for those space saving bags that compress the air when packing coats, blankets, and pillows. There is also great deal of air trapped in those items. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states, ...to keep your baby the safest, always remove bulky clothing or blankets before you place the child in the seat. Then, put the blanket or coat over the baby. You should never place anything thick underneath the baby, unless that item came with the car seat originally - which tells you its been tested by the manufacturer. When a child is wearing a thick coat, its hard to tell if you have a good harness fit, which is crucial. A coat can add a lot of slack, reducing the level of protection for your child in a crash. How can I check to see if my childs winter coat is too bulky for his car seat? Put the winter coat on your child and buckle him into the car seat as you normally would. Adjust the straps to fit your child. Remove your child from the seat and take off the coat. Without adjusting the straps, place your child in the seat and buckle. If you can fit more than two fingers under the harness at the shoulder bone, then the coat is unsafe for that car seat. By doing this you can also see how lose the harness would be if you were in a crash and the coat would become compressed. How can I keep my child warm this winter, in his car seat without his winter coat? *Heat the car up before taking the child out. *For infants, several products are on the market that go over the car seat carrier and act as a blanket. However, it is important to be sure that the product you purchase meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Some of these products that add material between the baby and the harness have come under scrutiny for being too bulky as well *Harness your child in their car seat. Make use of that huge stash of blankets you got at the baby shower and tuck them around the child after he has been harnessed. Make sure the blanket does not get tucked under the childs bottom or back. Remember nothing goes between the seat and the child unless it is from the manufacture of the car seat. *Use a polar fleece winter suit. Polar fleece is known for warmth without bulk. There are many out on the market and of varying price ranges *Have your child wear their winter coat out to the car. In the car remove the coat, buckle the child in his car seat, and then slip the coat on backwards over his arms. As winter approaches take heed to the warnings of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and get ready ahead of time. Check your childs coat for excess bulk and only use blankets overtop the harness of the seat. Be sure they do not interfere with how the car seat is designed to function. If they do, find an alternate way to keep your child warm in their car seat. In the event of an accident, you may be saving your precious cargos life. As always keep your child’s harness tight and check the tightness every time you put your child in.
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 22:27:12 +0000
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