With the arrival of the winter season, characterized by low temperatures, rain, snow and fog, as drivers we may be tempted to take children into the car very warmly.
We can engage a serious mistakesince the combination of clothes … Child seats and seat belts can have serious consequences in the event of an accident.
The Spanish Alliance for Child Road Safety (AESVi) has issued an important warning to families: children should never travel by car with a coat or other thick clothing.
Caution while driving is crucial during these months, knowing that, according to the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), 22% of those killed on interurban roads in 2024 lost their lives during the winter.
Dese AESVi, the expert forum on child road safety in Spainexplain that thick, padded clothing reduces the effectiveness of the child restraint system (CRS). The main reason is that these layers add slack to the belts and harnesses, thereby changing the seat’s restraining ability in a crash.
María Jesús Esparza emphasizes that “the use of belts and harnesses increases head movements and can be very dangerous.”
More specifically, in CRS installed facing the road and using the car’s three-point belt, excess clothing can generate play that increases the risk of “submarining”: a sliding of the child’s body below the belt, which would cause it to penetrate dangerously into the abdomen or neck.
In the case of full-body CRS (with their own harness), the looseness caused by the coats can cause dangerous head movements or, in the most severe scenario, the shoulder harness moves away from the collarbones, leaving the child without upper support and creating a “very dangerous child ejection scenario,” Esparza says.
Cold Weather Safety
Faced with these risks, the fundamental recommendation of the AESVi for the coldest days is clear: the coat or blanket must be placed above the child, never between the child’s body and the harnesses or seat belts. If possible, it is advisable to turn on the vehicle’s heating a few minutes before starting the journey to acclimatize the passenger compartment.
THE basic rules for using CRS What must be taken into account is that children measuring less than 135 cm must travel with an approved CRS adapted to their height. The use of a car seat is recommended until children reach 150 cm.
Before starting the journey, it is essential to check that the CRS is correctly installed and that the harnesses or belts are not loose, snagged or rolled up.
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