It’s wintertime and the temperatures are low. It only makes sense to bundle your child up before you put them in their carseat, right? According to child safety experts, putting on a warm jacket before the car seat may actually endanger your child.

You can use this easy test to see how a thick coat interferes with the car seat buckles. Put your child in their car seat with their coat on and tighten straps as you would normally. Then, take your child out of the car seat and their jacket without changing the straps. If the straps seem too loose here, they’re not safe.

Since the tightness of the buckles is affected with a bulky coat, the harness cannot work properly to protect your young passenger. If you were to get in an accident, the coat would compress and leave space between the safety belt and your child. While this simple adjustment may seem minor, it can mean the difference between life and death.

According to a WNEP News report, a young girl was thrown from a vehicle and killed when her grandmother ran into a pole. While the granddaughter had been buckled into her car seat, police say that children typically have bruising from the straps, which were not present. It is likely that her thick winter coat played a role in her not being secure during the accident.

Instead of bundling your little ones up before you put them in their car seat, give them a thick blanket to put over the buckles instead. It can be easily removed if they get too warm during the drive!

It’s a little change that can make all the difference! Save a life- SHARE the love, pass it on.