Winter is here! Here in New York City, although it hasn’t yet snowed, we can feel the cold. When it is cold we bundle up! Big warm coats, scarves, hats – the works. However, my family and I do it a bit differently when we are driving. We don’t wear coats in the car during the winter, especially our daughter.
Wearing thick and bulky winter coats in a car, especially for children is not safe. Harnesses in car seats or seatbelts will not fit the child tight enough to perform during a car crash. Thick winter coats prevent being able to snug up the harness or seatbelt correctly and as close to the body as it should, and would, therefore, be too loose on the child. During a car crash, the soft, thick and fluffy materials winter coats are made of can compress, placing room between the child and the harness. This leads to the child’s body absorbing most of the energy from the crash, which can lead to serious or even fatal injuries. This is why we don’t wear coats in the car during the winter.
How do we keep warm if we don’t wear coats in the car during the winter?
With my daughter, who uses a booster in my husband’s car and a safety vest in mine, we have her leave the house in her warm winter coat. Once she is inside the car, she removes it so that we can strap her in and make sure the harness and/or seatbelt are fit snugly. She never complains of being cold because we warm the car prior to entering. Thank God for autostart!
Heated Seats are Life!
Things like heated seats make a cold car more inviting. Take the 2018 Mazda6 Signature, for example, it has both front and rear heated seats. Usually, the rear passengers are left out when it comes to the luxury of having heated seats. My daughter loved the 2018 Mazda6 Signature specifically for that reason. While in her safety vest, she could experience warm seats at the push of a button. There’s nothing worse than a cold leather seat. With the heat on blast and warm leather seats, having on a heavy winter coat in the car isn’t missed.
Don’t Wear Coats in the Car During the Winter for Toddlers, Infants, and Newborns
Smaller kids shouldn’t wear coats in the car during the winter either. Yes, it is our natural instinct to bundle up our babies, but as I’ve mentioned before, it just isn’t safe. I’ve seen videos of crash test dummy babies clothed in snowsuits flying out of the seat because the harness wasn’t on snugly due to the thick snowsuit. The risk just isn’t worth it. But, there are still things you can do to keep them safe and warm during the winter months without having them wear thick snowsuits or coats.
The 2018 Mazda6 Signature is equipped with LATCH system child seat anchors allowing you to lock in two child seats in the rear. Whether rear or front facing, parents can do the following to keep their kids both safe and warm in the car during the winter:
- Preheat your car before you head out, if safe and permissible.
- Put a thin fleece jacket or onesie on your child, along with a hat and gloves to help retain internal warmth.
- For newborns and infants, you can use a winter car seat cover or bunting.
- Leave a blanket in your car just in case to place over the child after they are strapped in.
The 2018 Mazda6 Signature has an MSRP starting at $34,750. The fuel economy, 23 mpg city / 31 mpg highway make it a sweet deal. Learn more about the 2018 Mazda6 Signature on Mazdausa.com.
Does your family not wear coats in the car during the winter?
Disclosure: Mazda provided the 2018 Mazda 6 Signature for review purposes only. All opinions are my own and are honest.