More about car seat harness safety
According to the UK Department of Transport, 60 to 80% of all car seats are used incorrectly, with harness tension being the most common problem. This is a particular issue in winter as it is hard to tell whether you have a good harness fit if your child is wearing a thick coat or snowsuit.
For a car seat harness to work properly, the straps need to be tightly strapped against your child’s chest. When a child wears a snowsuit or thick coat, the straps are usually adjusted to the thickness of the coat, not the chest. If you had to stop suddenly or the car was in an accident, the coat could compress, making the straps too loose which would reduce the level of protection for the child.
Test it for yourself
Find out if harness tension is correct or if a coat is too bulky for in-car use.
- Put the coat on your child.
- Strap your child into the car seat and tighten to ensure a snug fit.
- Remove your child from the car seat – leaving the straps exactly as they are.
- Take the coat off your child.
- Strap your child back into the seat – without adjusting the straps.
- Do the two finger test. If you can fit more than two fingers underneath the harness at your child’s collar bone, the harness tension needs to be tightened or avoid using the coat in the car seat.
- Watch this video on how to do the test and see how much slack a thick coat or snowsuit can cause in your child’s safety harness. You will be amazed!
- Then watch the video showing the difference when you use a Morrck Baby Hooded Car Seat Blanket.
