Once your infant’s car seat is properly installed in the car and your child is correctly secured in it, it is also important to consider how to use the car seat safely in both high and low air temperatures.
Using a car seat during cold weather
In the winter months, when temperatures are low and we wear thicker jackets, it is essential to know that you should not buckle your child into the car seat while wearing a jacket. Before securing the child in the car seat, thick outerwear such as snowsuits or heavy jackets should be removed. Such clothing prevents proper tightening of the harness and can allow the child to slip out. Additionally, due to the amount of air trapped in thick winter clothing, during braking or a collision, the air gets compressed, potentially causing the child to be ejected from the car seat.
Dress your child in several layers of thinner clothing. Then, buckle the child properly without a jacket, and if needed, place a blanket or the jacket OVER the secured harness to keep the child warm. Of course, hats, gloves, thick socks, or booties can remain on the child.
Using a car seat during hot summer days
Although it is never safe to leave a child alone in a car at any time of year, the risk is significantly higher during warm weather. A child’s body heats up 3 to 5 times faster than that of an adult, making them more vulnerable to heatstroke, which can have severe consequences. The air inside a vehicle can heat up very quickly — in just about 10 minutes, it can reach dangerous levels for an infant. Partially open windows do not significantly slow the temperature rise inside the car. Therefore, always take your child out of the vehicle when you leave, even if it is just for 5 minutes.
If the car seat stays in the car, during summer it is a good idea to cover it with a sheet to protect it from heating up. Materials in the car seat, especially the metal buckle, can become extremely hot in the sun and may burn the child if placed in an overheated car seat.
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