ORLANDO, Fla. â A Halloween warning youâve probably never thought about: Your childâs bulky or puffy costume might pose a serious safety hazard when theyâre riding in a car seat.
Consumer Reports warns bulky or puffy costumes might cause your childâs car seat harness to not fit correctly, which means it might not offer optimal protection in a crash.
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âPhilip has this nice puffy costume with fake muscles. We donât want to wear puffy costumes underneath our car seat harness because doing that can add additional room to the harness in the event of a crash. And that additional room in the harness will now make it so there is more room for the child to move during the crash and potentially move outside the protection of their car seat,â Consumer Reports car seat expert Emily Thomas said.
Consumer Reports has some advice: Have your little ghoul or goblin change into their costumes after they get to the party.
If your child is a little older and plans on trick-or-treating, make sure he or she can see and be seen.
Children are more than twice as likely to be hit and killed by a car on Halloween than on any other day of the year.
To be safer, avoid masks that block vision and consider face painting instead.
And if you are driving on Halloween, always watch for children as you enter and exit driveways and alleys.
A hand-me-down costume is a great money-saver but if itâs too big, your child could trip, so adjust it for a proper fit.
And donât forget about reflective tape. You can add it to costumes and bags, or give kids glow sticks so they can more easily be seen even on the darkest and spookiest of Halloween nights.
And while they are out trick-or-treating, make sure your children always stay on sidewalks instead of walking between cars or on lawns, where there could be tripping hazards.
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