SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - As winter weather settles in, safety experts are urging parents to think twice before buckling their children into car seats while wearing bulky coats or snowsuits.

Nancy Raether, a community programs coordinator with Sanford CHILD Services, says thick clothing can prevent car seat harnesses from fitting correctly.

“Because a lot of times people want to put their child in a big winter coat or maybe a snowsuit, and sometimes when we do that, that can cause those harness straps not to fit very well over your child,” Raether said.

Raether says that a poor fit can quickly become dangerous. In a crash, the force compresses the coat, leaving space that the harness can’t make up for.

“If they were to get in a crash, it does make it possible for their chil

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