Why it's dangerous for children to wear a coat in their car seat

Every parent understands the importance of a car seat when travelling with children. But what many may not know is that their child’s winter coat could put lives in danger.

A video by car safety experts Good Egg has highlighted the potential risks involved with wrapping your kids up before fastening their seat belts.

In the clip, a mother demonstrates how a puffer jacket can lead parents to think that the seat belt is securely fastened. But when the coat is taken off it becomes clear that there there is a dangerous gap between the child and the harness.

In a blog post the company warned: “Leaving your child’s coat on in the car is a problem because it creates a gap between your child and their safety harness. In a collision, the harness isn’t as close to your child’s body as it needs to be to allow it to properly restrain them.”

But how can parents keep their children safe in the winter months?

The car safety experts advise covering kids in a blanket to keep them warm and removing coats to ensure the harness is ‘tight enough that you can just get two fingers between your child and the straps’.

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