by Joyce Slaton posted in Products & Prizes

It's cold out there, and getting colder, so parents in frosty areas are bundling their kids up -- safely, they think. But if you're strapping your child into her car seat in a winter coat, a puffy snowsuit or other warm clothing with a lot of "fluff," you could be a making a potentially deadly error.
All that fluff seems solid while you're wearing it, and if you buckle your child in with a coat on, the harness seems tight enough. But in the event of a crash, the fluff compresses and if your child's harness is too loose, disaster can ensue.
This scary video from The Car Seat Lady demonstrates exactly what can happen in a fraction of a second when a too-loosely harnessed child is subject to crash forces. This video demonstrates how children can be ejected from their seats in the worst-case scenario:
Puffy coats that squish down into a easy-to-carry pouch or package are very popular right now, for kids and adults. The Car Seat Lady cautions that puffy coats add about 4 inches of slack to your child's harness -- doesn't sound like a lot, right" But that 4 inches could be the difference between life and death for your child. A young child's spinal cord, for example, can stretch about 2 inches before it ruptures.
If you need proof, The Car Seat Lady and other experts advise you to try this test -- fasten your child in her car seat with a coat on and the harness tight. Then, take your child out, take her coat off, and fas...