It’s pretty chilly in my neck of the woods these days, which means the kids want to get bundled up before we head out to the car. When it’s time to buckle little ones into their car seats and boosters, though, those thick winter coats can present some danger.

When a thick or bulky coat is between your child and the car seat harness or seat belt, it creates slack, which means the harness or seat belt may be too loose. This can happen just from the thickness of the material or because winter coats tend to bunch up when we sit down, creating big puffs of material around us. In a crash, children in very thick coats could possibly be ejected when the coat material compresses, leaving a very loose harness or seat belt that can’t restrain the child properly.

Ideally, a child should be buckled into a car seat or seat belt with only a few regular layers of clothing on. The thick coat or snowsuit should be removed before buckling. But how can you ensure that your child stays warm in the car if you take off their coat?

First, once the car is warm, children rarely need as many layers of clothes as we think they do, so if you can warm the car up ahead of time, you may be able to just slip off your child’s coat and buckle as normal before driving. Another inexpensive option is to keep a few blankets in the car that you can tuck around your child after he or she is properly secured in the car seat or seat belt. If it’s just your child’s arms and torso you’d like to keep warm, try buckling the child in, and then putting on his or her coat backwards so that their arms are in the sleeves and the back portion covers their chest and stomach.

For those who live in very cold places or really need to have a coat that is safer for use in the car, thin fleece may be a good option.  A lightweight fleece jacket or suit can be layered over normal clothing without too much bulk, but still adds plenty of warmth.

Avoid using after-market car seat blankets and snugglers that go between the child and the car seat harness. For infant-only car seats, there are “shower cap” style carrier covers that fit over the top of the whole seat and do not interfere with the harness. The shower cap type covers don’t present any added danger, but you can accomplish the same thing by tossing a breathable blanket over the car seat, so buying a special cover really isn’t necessary.

As of 2004, about 96 percent of U.S. homes had a smoke detector, but only about 75 percent of U.S. homes had a working smoke detector. Did you know that more than 40 percent of all home fires and more than half of the fire-related deaths occurred in the 4 percent of U.S. homes that didn’t have any smoke detector at all?

House fires are something that no one ever thinks will happen to them, so it’s key to plan ahead and make sure your family is ready in case a fire does occur. If you don’t have smoke alarms in your home now, purchase some. They can be found rather inexpensively at discount stores, and a smoke detector doesn’t need to be fancy. It just needs to be there. Some communities have grant-funded programs through fire departments that will install smoke detectors for free, too. Every level of your home should have a smoke detector, and there should be one in every bedroom, and outside of every sleeping area.

If you have smoke detectors, make sure they work. Test them monthly and replace the batteries once a year or if the alarm starts sounding that it is low.

In addition to smoke detectors, it’s a good idea to create and practice a fire escape plan with your family. Show your kids how to get out of your home if there was a fire, how to check doors to see if they are hot, and how to stay low to avoid smoke inhalation. Assign older family members to help younger ones out of the house, and choose a safe place, away from the house, where everyone can meet. Make sure your kids know that they should get out of the house quickly and stay out if there is a fire.

Hopefully you will never need your fire escape plan. Having working smoke detectors and adequate safety plans in place reduces the chances that your family will be hurt if there is a fire, though.

As parents, we all recognize how important it is to teach our children at an early age how to safely cross the road. But we don’t always think about educating them about the importance of safely crossing train tracks and about the dangers of trespassing on railroad property.

I want to let other parents know about an important children’s safety campaign that addresses these risks.

Safe Kids USA has partnered with CN, one of the largest railroads in North America, to launch Safe Crossing Week 2008, an educational campaign to encourage parents, caregivers and educators to teach elementary school children how to cross railroad tracks safely.

This year, from November 3 to 9, more than 60 communities across the U.S. will be participating in the campaign, reaching 27,000 elementary school children with important railroad safety messages. Canada started this program in 2005 and this year, more than 600 schools and 100,000 children will take part in Canada’s Safe Crossing Week 2008 (October 20-26).

Parents also have a key role to play. “Parents: Now’s the Time” is the theme for 2008. It’s a call to parents to educate their children about how to safely cross railroad tracks and about the dangers of trespassing on railroad property. Give them the information now and prevent tragedy later. Consider the facts:

• Every year in the United States 430 people are killed in incidents involving trains.
• 4,900 per year are injured in such incidents.
• In 2007, 39 children aged 15 and under were killed.
• Another 180 were injured in such incidents.

The Safe Crossing Week partners are providing the tools to help you teach your children these vital safety rules.

• For parents in the U.S.: Access teaching tools at www.usa.safekids.org/rail

• For parents in Canada: Access the tools at www.safekidscanada.ca

• For all parents: Young children can also learn more about railroad safety while having fun with Obie, the safety train, and his engineer friend, Max, at www.cn.ca/obie.

Diane Shinn, Media Manager at Safe Kids and Mom.

As parents, we often get so wrapped up in making the best safety choices for our kids, we don’t stop to think about maximizing our own safety, as well. When you’re on the road with your family, it’s important to set the example for your kids by buckling your own seatbelt every time the vehicle moves, not only for your safety, but for theirs as well.

For you, the seatbelt’s most important function is to keep you inside the vehicle in the event of a crash. If you’re ejected, you’re four times more likely to be killed. When you’re properly buckled, you’re also ensuring that you won’t move around inside the vehicle during a crash and cause injuries to other passengers.

It is equally as important to make sure that any other adults riding in your vehicle wear their seatbelts. Remember, anything that isn’t secured before a crash can become a projectile during a crash. So while you’re double-checking your kids’ harness straps and booster seats, take a minute to be sure all other passengers are just as secure. Just one un-belted passenger in a vehicle can cause serious injuries or even death to others if a crash occurs.

Heather Corley, Mom, Writer, Child Passenger Safety Advocate and Safe Kids Coordinator.

Of all the products that find their way into your home, in my view, cribs, bassinets and playpens deserve special attention.  By design, custom and practice, very young children are left unattended for long periods of time (often for several hours while sleeping).  This means that these environments, more than any other, should be completely safe for young children.  Make sure you buy your crib, playpen or bassinet from a reputable retailer and not a second hand shop. 

Stay informed about recalls by signing up for the Consumer Product Safety Commission recall alerts (sign up on www.cpsc.gov).  That way you can immediately be notified if your sleep environment product, or many others for that matter, has been recalled by the manufacturer or government. 

Never put adult sheets, adult pillows or other soft bedding in a crib with an infant.  These items pose a suffocation hazard.   Sleep environment deaths and injuries can be almost always prevented if you buy safe products and stay informed -  Alan Korn, Dad and Public Policy Director at Safe Kids.

It is and I just wanted to remind you, to plan ahead to make safe spaces for babies “at home, at play and on the way.” Repost from the Safe Kids USA Web site. – Line, Safe Kids Blog Manager.

Safety tips for children ages 0-3