Crash tests with winter coats?

RJB78

CPST Instructor
Dh is really being a pain about this. I love the man dearly, and he is very educated and such, but he does not think wearing a coat in the car seat is a big deal. He actually said that it's irresponsible parenting to take the girls out in fleece in 22 degree weather or to have them wear their coats backwards or to take their coats off in the car while I buckle them up. Good grief. :mad: I'm wearing my fleece, too, and it's not a big deal. The girls aren't complaining either. It's not like we're outside for more than a minute going from house to car and car to store.

I've shown him the links about bulky coats that have come up recently, but are there any crash test videos? Maybe those will help sway him. It's really been a sore spot for us. :(
 
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bake1856

New member
I don't know about video with winter coats but maybe there would be one with loose fitting harness. You could put the girls, wearing their coats, in the carseat. Then take them out and put them in the seat without the coat to show how much slack there is. In a wreck that's how much slack is in the harness while they wear their coats.

Does that make sense. Maybe some else has better evidence.

karen
 

RJB78

CPST Instructor
Thanks Karen. I've done that test with him, but he still doesn't believe having a winter coat on in the car is going to hurt anything. :( The loose harness strap crash test videos need to be made though! That's a good idea!

Jen- I will share that with him soon. That's a good compromise!
 

Amaris

New member
DH was a pain with the coats too, even after showing him the loose straps. I asked him was it worth it to him to trust his children's lives to a coat since that's basically all that would be protecting them. His answer was no.
 

mom2boys

New member
My DH is the same way! I am so upset about it, and I can't get him to feel the way I do. He says that a seatbelt on him is looser than the 5 point harness is on our kids with their winter coats on. I have told him about their little bodies vs. our bigger bodies, about if something happened wouldn't he never forgive himself knowing he knew not to have them in those coats, etc. I have told him we aren't even supposed to wear winter coats while driving, then he knew I was crazy since everyone in America wears winter coats while driving. After that, he wouldn't even listen to me anymore (I'm a car seat nutto).

Luckily, my 4 year old has a thinner coat that I don't adjust the straps at all with or without it. But, my poor 21 month old has a somewhat bulky coat. He feels that it is irresponsible for me to put our kids outside in 20 degree and lower weather in fleece. He won't allow it, and refuses to let me buy a new coat. I have shown him everything on this board and I don't know what to do? I am buying all 3 in 1 coats from now on, but I have all the hand me downs for my youngest and I feel like a terrible mom putting him in that. I just don't know what else to do...there is nothing I can say to sway him. I wish I had a video.
 

dhardawa

Active member
My DH is the same way! I am so upset about it, and I can't get him to feel the way I do. He says that a seatbelt on him is looser than the 5 point harness is on our kids with their winter coats on. I have told him about their little bodies vs. our bigger bodies, about if something happened wouldn't he never forgive himself knowing he knew not to have them in those coats, etc. I have told him we aren't even supposed to wear winter coats while driving, then he knew I was crazy since everyone in America wears winter coats while driving. After that, he wouldn't even listen to me anymore (I'm a car seat nutto).

Luckily, my 4 year old has a thinner coat that I don't adjust the straps at all with or without it. But, my poor 21 month old has a somewhat bulky coat. He feels that it is irresponsible for me to put our kids outside in 20 degree and lower weather in fleece. He won't allow it, and refuses to let me buy a new coat. I have shown him everything on this board and I don't know what to do? I am buying all 3 in 1 coats from now on, but I have all the hand me downs for my youngest and I feel like a terrible mom putting him in that. I just don't know what else to do...there is nothing I can say to sway him. I wish I had a video.

I kind of have to chuckle here even though it isn't funny. I dare some man to "not allow" me to put my child safely in a car seat.
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
I don't know about video with winter coats but maybe there would be one with loose fitting harness. You could put the girls, wearing their coats, in the carseat. Then take them out and put them in the seat without the coat to show how much slack there is. In a wreck that's how much slack is in the harness while they wear their coats.

Does that make sense. Maybe some else has better evidence.

karen
I would think there would be slightly less slack as a winter coat will not compress to zero (as if it didn't exist). I am not saying the amount of slack would be acceptable, but an item cannot disappear when it is compressed, it has to compress down to something which would take up more space than if it wasn't there at all.
 

mom2boys

New member
I kind of have to chuckle here even though it isn't funny. I dare some man to "not allow" me to put my child safely in a car seat.

Well, I do put them in seats without coats. But, when he drives he refuses to do so. I should have clarified that.
 

bake1856

New member
I would think there would be slightly less slack as a winter coat will not compress to zero (as if it didn't exist). I am not saying the amount of slack would be acceptable, but an item cannot disappear when it is compressed, it has to compress down to something which would take up more space than if it wasn't there at all.

You're right I was just trying to give a visual.

To the OP, you could tell him that I lost a niece. She was in a 3pt harness in the front seat in a snuggly. Now I know if she was in the back seat she probably would be alive but who knows about the other two. After the wreck, we all were thinking what if we'd done this or known that. In the end we all just have to live with the outcome.

For me, I accept the research and do my best to comply every time I get in the car. I know that not every wreck is survivable but I have to do everything I can so if the worst happens I at least know that I did what I could (not that it would keep a person from second guessing). In answer to the adults wearing winter coats. I say " Motor Vehicle Crashes are the #1 cause of death for children and adults, age groups 1 to 34." Who knows what part coats play in that.

We all take risks. As parents we just have to decide what we thinks best for our children and act accordingly. Luckily when it comes to child safety my dh listens to me (probably because I'd make him research if he disagreed.)

karen
 

musicmaj

New member
I think that buckling around the coat and zipping the coat over the straps is a great compromise and I don't have to loosen the straps at all when I do that. (check the link in one of the above posts) It works great for us. That is what I do when it is really, really, cold out.
 

andbabiesmake4

New member
DH feels the same way.. he just doesn't comprehend that it can be fatal... I've shown him how to zip the coats around the harness.. but he just doesn't do it. He does tighten the harness SUPER night.. And I bet if I checked it's just as tight (the harness) as when they're not wearing coats... it's just the principal in my mind.
 

bake1856

New member
It's okay. It's been years although when I write about it I get a little teary. My main point is that nobody thinks it will happen to them.

karen
 

Morganthe

New member
My DH is the same way! I am so upset about it, and I can't get him to feel the way I do. He says that a seatbelt on him is looser than the 5 point harness is on our kids with their winter coats on. I have told him about their little bodies vs. our bigger bodies, about if something happened wouldn't he never forgive himself knowing he knew not to have them in those coats, etc. I have told him we aren't even supposed to wear winter coats while driving, then he knew I was crazy since everyone in America wears winter coats while driving. After that, he wouldn't even listen to me anymore (I'm a car seat nutto).
:happy-wavehello: I think I count perhaps as a small part of 'everyone in America' and I've NEVER worn a winter coat while driving no matter what the outside temp was!

If it helps, neither has dh, my parents, or in laws completely across the country from mine. In fact, I don't know a single person other than skinny semi-anorexic types who are comfortable with the tight sleeves around the elbows & shoulders:whistle:
It's a total pain in the hiney as far as I'm concerned. :shrug-shoulders:

He cannot compare his 3pt retractable seatbelt against a fixed harness. It's apples and oranges.

Hmmm, can you plant some seeds of discord with your younger son? I know if I tell my daughter something, such as "That outfit isn't comfortable," or "You don't like _________" or "It's too tight to wear inside the car", she'll parrot it to dh when he's alone with her and doing things on his own. Even before she was vocal, I could influence her opinions and her little tantrums. :evil grin::p

Yeah, I know -- Evil with a capitol E. But it's amazing I can count on her to remind him to follow the Rules that he'd completely forget with out her little input. :love:
 

Melizerd

New member
I made a deal with my DH that unless he was going to put the amount of time and research into the carseat safety as I have he can NOT make the decisions. If he can find clear cut evidence that something he wanted to do is safer then what I wanted to do we'll choose his plan.

So far no research and he defers to me. (smart man ;) )
 

bombedier

Senior Community Member
I made a deal with my DH that unless he was going to put the amount of time and research into the carseat safety as I have he can NOT make the decisions. If he can find clear cut evidence that something he wanted to do is safer then what I wanted to do we'll choose his plan.

So far no research and he defers to me. (smart man ;) )

Smart lady I say!
 

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