(WAND) — Winter can be brutal across central Illinois, with many of us bundling up with big puffy coats before bracing the cold air.
Before hopping in the car, make sure to take off the big, puffy coat. Health experts with OSF HealthCare shared a general rule: bulky winter coats and snowsuits should not be worn underneath the harness of a car seat or a seat belt.
"It creates a lot of space between the harness and the person," said Jordan Meeks, Pediatric Wellness Specialist at OSF HealthCare.
Meeks said car seat straps and harness should be placed flat against a child's chest. Oftentimes puffy coats create up to six inches of space between the child and the strap. In a car crash, fluffy padding in a coat can immediately flatten from the force, leaving extra space underneath the harness and the seat belt strap.
"When you are involved in a crash it compresses and pushes all of the air out of the coat and it can create up to six inches of space," Meeks explained. "That is enough to potentially eject a child."
An infant wearing a puffy coat buckled into a car seat. Health experts recommend removing puffy garments before buckling children into car seats.
Infants, teens, and adults should remove puffy coats before being strapped into a car seat or buckled into a regular vehicle. If parents are worried about children getting too cold, they should warm the car first. If they can't do that, OSF HealthCare said to pack a car blanket. For older kids, buckle them into their seats then put the coats on backwards. For infants, buckle them into their car seats and then place a blanket over the harness.
OSF HealthCare Children's Hospital of Illinois has an injury prevention program. Call 877-277-6543 for questions or concerns about car seats or to find a car seat check.
Copyright 2023. WANDTV. All Rights Reserved.Â
