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Car Seat Safety

Watertown Dept. of Public Health does car seat checks for free by appointment  

Car seats are available based on eligibility and availability

Give our Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians a call today to make sure your child is a safe as possible while riding in vehicles!
920-262-8090

Car seat flyer

Winter Car Seat Tip:
Bulky winter coats and car seats DO NOT mix. 
Kids should be in nothing more than a fleece when they are in their car seats.

A young child in a car seat, wearing a winter hat and a harness, next to the text 'Winter Coats and Car Seats Don't Mix' emphasizing safety.

A comparison image showing two scenarios for children in car seats: the top left shows a child wearing a coat with the harness, the top right shows the same child without the coat, and the bottom row features a baby in a car seat with a coat on the left and without on the right, highlighting the importance of proper harness fitting.

Test if your child's coat is too bulky for their car seat
1. Harness child in their car seat in coat
2. Remove child from seat without loosening the harness
3. Harness child in their car seat without the coat (do not tighten harness)
4. If there is enough harness webbing that you can pinch it between your fingers or more, the coat is too bulky

A comparison image showing two children in car seats: one wearing a bulky coat on the left labeled 'BULKY COAT' and the other in a green shirt with a properly adjusted harness on the right labeled 'LOOSE HARNESS'.

How do you keep your child warm and safe?

*Cars can be pre warmed in cold winter weather

A smiling baby in a car seat, wearing a colorful knitted hat and a light blue jacket, with a purple blanket draped over them.

*Harness your child in and place a blanket over the top of them 

A visual guide showing four steps for safely dressing a baby for cold weather, including layering, swaddling with different blankets, and using a car seat cover.

*For rear facing seats, use a car seat cover that does not go under the seat or behind child

A woman smiles at a baby sitting in a car seat, which is covered with a light blanket, in a modern indoor setting.

*Kids in forward facing seats can wear their coat backwards over their harness

Two young children seated in car seats, each wearing oversized purple coats, one holding an apple and the other holding a red object, both smiling.