A Parent's Guide to safely transporting & Buckling up your children in cold weather provided by Pennsylvania's Traffic Injury Prevention Project.

SECURING TODDLERS AND PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN IN CAR SEATS: 

• Avoid using heavy snowsuits or extra bulky coats.  The extra padding in coats and snowsuits will make it difficult to properly tighten the child safety seat's harness.  In a crash, the padding will complress, allowing slack in the harness.
• Get in the vehicle and close the door before securing the child with the harness of the child safety seat.  By closing the door, the child is out of the direct wind or cold.

SECURING INFANTS USING REAR-FACING INFANT CARRIERS:

• Store the infant carrier portion of the child safety seat inside the house to keep it warm.  This helps reduce the loss of the child's body heat in the vehicle.
• Secure the child properly in the infant carrier while inside the house to avoid the child being outside in the cold for too long.
• Cover the baby with a warm blanket after child is secured in the safety seat. The blanket should be placed over the harnessed child so it will not interfere with the harness system.
• Do not use non-regulated items such as blankets that attach to the child safety seat through the harness system. They have not been safety crashe tested.

GENERAL WINTER TRAVEL SAFETY TIPS:

• Explain to young childen that driving on snowy roads requires concentration and they will need to sit quietly during the trip.
• Always carry extra blankets in the vehicle for all passengers, along with non-perishable food supplies in case of a roadside emergency in inclement weather.
• Allow time to warm up the vehicle and brush off snow and ice.
• Keep projectiles like ice scrapers in the trunk.
• Allow extra time for travel.