NOW that the temperature is starting to drop, many mums have taken to social media to remind others of the dangers of wearing a winter coat in a child's car seat.

One mum's post has been shared more than 48,000 times this week on Facebook after telling fellow users she was going to be 'that annoying friend reminding you winter coats don't work in car seats' alongside a video and pictures demonstrating why. 

Why is it dangerous?

Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), says the answer is that clothing can affect how snugly the seat’s harness fits the child so it’s important to check it is snug on every journey.

He added: "If your child is wearing a thick jacket or body suit the harness will not be close enough to his/her body, which means it will be too loose.

"In a collision, this would allow the child’s body to move too much before the harness starts to restrain the child, which reduces the safety of the seat considerably.

"We do not recommend that thick jackets or bodysuits are worn."

Chard & Ilminster News:

The Good Egg blog demonstrates the dangers in a widely-shared safety video

I've already had my child in a car seat wearing their winter coat, what should I do now?

If a child was wearing a thick coat on a previous journey and is wearing something less bulky on the next journey, it is doubly important to check the harness fits snugly.

If more than two fingers can fit between the child's chest and the harness, it is too loose.

What about newborn babies?

RoSPA's advice is to keep car travel to a minimum with newborns.

They say research warns that infants under four weeks shouldn't travel in car seats for more than 30 minutes. 

When you do need to take a baby in a car, always use an approved rearward-facing baby seat that is properly fitted, but avoid taking very young babies, especially premature and low-birth weight babies, on long journeys.

Parents should ask the hospital to assess whether it is safe for their baby to travel in a baby seat before they are discharged

How about older children in booster seats or using seatbelts, do they need to remove their coats?

A RoSPA spokesman said seat belts are not the same as child seat harnesses and they have not heard of any concerns about seat belts and thick coats.