Colorado parents urged to avoid puffy jackets when buckling up child in car safety seat

As the snow continues and temperatures drop in Colorado, Car Seats Colorado is reminding parents and caregivers about car seat safety. Experts say while bundling up your child, strapping them into a car seat while they are wearing a puffy winter jacket can be dangerous. 

They say during the event of a crash, the bulky coat compresses, leaving the harness straps too loose.

Here are some tips from Car Seat Colorado on how to test if a coat is too bulky: 

• Put the coat on your child and buckle them into the car seat. Tighten the harness until it passes the "pinch test". You shouldn't be able to pinch any excess strap between your thumb and forefinger.
• Without loosening the harness, remove your child from the seat. Take off their coat, then buckle them back into the seat with the same harness setting.
• Perform the pinch test again. If you can pinch the excess strap, the coat is too bulky to be worn under the harness.

While putting your child in the car seat, here are some tips to keep them warm. This includes:

• For infants and smaller children: Place a blanket over the child after buckling them into the car seat. Avoid covering the entire car seat, as this can restrict airflow and lead to carbon dioxide poisoning.
• For toddlers and older children: Buckle the child into their harness, then turn their coat around and put their arms through the sleeves backward to keep warm.
• Be cautious of overheating: With blankets and the car heater, babies can quickly overheat. Monitor your child's temperature and adjust as needed.

For more tips on car seat safety or to schedule a car seat check, visit CarSeatsColorado.com.

As of Jan. 1, Colorado's child restraint system laws have changed to help protect our state's kids. The updated law includes several key changes: 

• Children must now remain in a booster seat until they are nine years old. It used to be eight years old.
• Children under two years old and weighing less than 40 pounds must be in a rear-facing car seat. It used to be one year old and under 20 pounds. 
• All children under 18 years old must be in some form of restraint, whether it's a car seat or seat belt. It used to be 16 years old.