Children in car seats should not wear bulky coats.

AAA said a bulky or puffy coat can create a gap between the child and the straps on a car seat, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the car seat in a crash.

AAA recommends warming up the car before a trip, keeping the car seat in the house when not in use to keep it warm, dressing children in fleece outerwear for a trip, and placing a backward coat or blanket on a child after they are secured in the car seat.

Wearing a puffy coat can cause a child to slip through a car seat’s restraints due to the gap created between the child and the restraint.