It’s really important to remember some key points in winter car seat safety that you might not think of:
Heavy Coats It’s super important that children not be bundled up in heavy coats while strapped into their car seats. This creates a huge amount of extra bulk that can be really unsafe. It makes a lot of room between the car seat, their little bodies, and the car seat harness. You may think you’re tightening it enough that it’s not a problem, trust me, there’s a big amount of extra space there. This website has a ton of pics showing the difference it makes in a child wearing a coat vs. no coat. Also, make sure to watch the quick video below.
BundleMe’s Please, Please, Please don’t use the BundleMe while your child’s car seat is being used as a car seat!! They are NOT safety tested for this. You never want anything between the back of the car seat and your child’s back (except for their light clothing). The BundleMe is perfect to use while your car seat is snapped into your stroller, but not while in the car. To keep your kiddos extra warm just use blankets tucked in and a warm hat. Remember, the only time your child is in the really cold temps is when you’re going from the building to the car, & then, I assume, you have your vehicle warmed up.
Windshield Icing It is super important that you take the time to clean your vehicle off of excess snow and clear the ice off the windshield. If not done this can greatly reduce the visibility you have of the road and of other drivers.
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Essentials to Keep in the Car It’s a good idea to keep a few things in your trunk for unexpected emergencies. You’ll want to make sure to have a snowbrush/ice scraper, a car emergency kit, a small bag of sand or kitty litter, a blanket, and a small foldable shovel. A LifeHammer is also a great tool to have. It is capable of breaking glass and cutting seat belts in major emergencies. These items should really come in handy if you’re ever in need of them.
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For more year round car seat tips pop on over to
SaratogaMama where we wrote an article on it not that long ago!There’s also some great BundleMe alternatives listed on
The Car Seat Lady’s website and a wonderful chart on what car seat manufacturers policies are. Also, Please read the
AAP’s policies on car seats on best practices to keep your child safe. Don’t forget that you can always
email us for a
FREE car seat inspection!
Stay Safe this Winter Season!
Heavy Coats It’s super important that children not be bundled up in heavy coats while strapped into their car seats. This creates a huge amount of extra bulk that can be really unsafe. It makes a lot of room between the car seat, their little bodies, and the car seat harness. You may think you’re tightening it enough that it’s not a problem, trust me, there’s a big amount of extra space there. This website has a ton of pics showing the difference it makes in a child wearing a coat vs. no coat. Also, make sure to watch the quick video below.