As a personal injury lawyer, some of the most devastating cases involve children injured in collisions where everyone thought they were buckled-in safely. A common and often unseen culprit is the puffy snowsuit that quietly defeats the seat’s design. As we move squarely into the winter season, make sure your child is protected:
Why Puffy Coats Are Dangerous
Car seats are engineered and tested with the harness snug against the child, not over thick jackets and snowsuits. When a child wears a bulky coat, the harness must be loosened, and in a crash the coat compresses, leaving dangerous slack that allows a child’s body to jolt forward or even slip out of the seat.
Safety Advice and Legal Implications
Pediatric and traffic‑safety experts clearly advise against using bulky coats or snowsuits under car seat harnesses because they prevent a secure fit. In legal cases, whether basic safety guidance was followed can affect how insurers and courts view responsibility and compensation after a collision.
Simple Steps to Protect Your Child
Dress children in thin, warm layers and tighten the harness until you cannot pinch extra webbing at the shoulder (the “pinch test”). Then place a coat or blanket over the harness, preserving both warmth and safety.