You should not strap your child into their car seat whilst they still have their winter coat on - and here's why...
We may have had an amazing summer (remember those heatwaves?) but temperatures are already dropping to single digits and all our little ones have begun running around in their winter coats looking CUTE AS HELL.
However, all parents need to know that bulky coats and car journeys are a VERY dangerous combination - and could prove deadly to your little one.
A report from TODAY.com featured a disturbing video from an official crash test lab in Michigan.
In it, a child dummy that appeared to be securely strapped into a car seat can be seen hurtling out of it in a simulated 30-mph crash.
And it was all due to the fact the dummy was wearing a thick winter coat.
WATCH:**** Why you shouldn't let your child wear their coat in the car by Rossen Reports on NBC News
So what causes this to happen?
Well, your child’s jacket creates a gap between your child and their safety harness.
This means that, if your car is involved in a collision, or you are forced to brake suddenly for any reason, the harness isn’t as close to your child’s body as it needs to be to allow it to properly restrain them.
Therefore, to keep your children safe in the car this winter, you must remove their coats and jackets BEFORE putting them in their car seat.
Once this is done, pull the harness tight enough that you can just get two fingers between your child and the straps.
It is also worth pointing out that your child could easily overheat if they are wearing a thick coat inside your car, particularly as the journey gets underway and the vehicle begins to warm up.
However, if it is very chilly, experts suggest strapping your child securely in their car seat without their coat on, and keeping them warm with blankets and throws instead.
"Instead of putting the coat on him, you can put the coat over him to keep him warm," Sue Auriemma from Kids and Cars told TODAY.
"Or you can use a blanket."
Experts also advise that adults also refrain from wearing bulky coats or jumpers when they're behind the wheel or riding in a car.
Consumer Report have released six guidelines to take note of when fastening your child into their car seat.
Consumer Report's 6 top tips to keeping your child safe in your car
Consumer Report's 6 top tips to keeping your child safe in your car
1 of 6child car seat
"Put the coat on your child, sit them in the child seat and fasten the harness. Tighten the harness until you can no longer pinch any of the harness webbing with your thumb and forefinger."
2 of 6child car seat
"Without loosening the harness, remove your child from the child seat."
3 of 6child car seat
"Take the coat off, and put your child back in the child seat and buckle the harness straps, which are still adjusted as they were when he was wearing the coat."
4 of 6child car seat
"If you can now pinch the webbing between your thumb and forefinger, then the coat is too bulky to be worn under the harness."
5 of 6child car seat
"After securing your child in his/her child seat, turn the coat around and put it on backward with their arms through the arm holes and the back of the coat acting like a blanket."
6 of 6child car seat
"Lay a blanket over your child to keep him/her warm."
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