How to: safe travelling with children in Winter

Travelling with children in Winter can be a challenge, as thick winter clothing can reduce their safety inside the car. In the event of an accident or even just harsh braking the seat’s harness may not be correctly tightened on the child’s body so may not keep your child firmly in place as it is designed to.

There are a few things to keep in mind when travelling with children in Winter. While safety features like traction control systems help us stay on the road and drive more safely, we can also actively improve our child’s safety inside the car. Why are thick jackets dangerous when travelling with children in Winter? Most winter jackets are made of filling material like down or feathers, which are designed to keep your child warm by creating a thick “air buffer” in between your child and the cold air outside. However, when placing your child in the car seat with such a jacket on, the jacket’s thickness can prevent you from tightening the harness close to your child’s upper body.

In the event of an impact where your child is pushed out of the seat and into the harness, the forces are so strong that the air in the jacket is released. This results in your child having too much space for movement, as the harness is not tight enough to hold them back securely. Thus, when travelling with children in Winter we strongly encourage you to avoid having them wear thick winter jackets.

What can I do to prevent my child from being cold in Winter?

To help you when travelling with children in Winter, we have collected a list of alternative ways to make sure that they are comfortable and warm:

1 – Use footmuffs specifically designed for baby car seats Footmuffs like the BeSafe footmuff are specifically designed for being used with baby car seats. Their back openings and pre-cut holes allow the harness to be placed on the inside in its correct position. As these footmuffs are closed above the harness, no thick layer is added in between your child and the seat’s harness.

2 – Place a hot water bottle into the car seat 5-10 minutes before departure (but of course remove it before using the seat)By placing a hot water bottle into your child’s car seat five to ten minutes before departure, you can easily ensure that they are not sitting on a cold surface. Instead, they are even receiving extra heating from below. This suggestion was contributed by BeSafe car seat users, thank you!

3 – Have your child wear clothes made from fleece or wool. These materials offer good insulation properties without being so thick, so that the harness can be tightened properly.

4 – Put the jacket on ‘the wrong way around’ after buckling up, place your child into the seat without the jacket and buckle them up tightly. Afterwards, you can put the jacket on ‘the wrong way around’ by putting it over the arms and laying it over their upper body. This way it can still protect from the cold air without being placed in between your child and the harness.

5 – Bring an extra blanket with you in the car. Allow your child to snuggle up with a blanket that is placed over them after buckling up. This allows them to be warm and cosy but still travel safely throughout the journey.

6 – Have your child wear a poncho and put the back part over the seat. If your child is wearing a poncho, you can place the part that is hanging over their back over the child car seat and the front part above the harness. This way you can create a ‘warm bubble’ underneath the poncho and still ensure that no thick layer prevents the harness from being tight. Alternatively, the same can be achieved by taking a blanket and cutting a head opening into it. Please make sure though that the back part of the poncho/blanket is laying loosely on the car seat and is not stuck anywhere. This suggestion was contributed by BeSafe car seat users, thank you!

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