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Our winters are frigid and goes from October to March so my girls definitely wear a coat in the car. My older has a Patagonia down "sweater" and the younger wears a compact waterproof/wind proof shell with a quilted interior.

Yes we always do. We have a walk to the car because we are parked on the street so basically it takes us forever to get bundled, walk, then remove coats and get in the car.

I always take off his giant puffy down coat. The amount Id have to adjust the straps to fit it makes it clear it shouldn't be in there! He wears a thin shell jacket or fleece in there though...little to no strap adjustment needed.

We are in Canada so a coat is required. We got one that is warm but not too thick. Not a puffy one.

The girls wear thin fleece jackets and it's a snowy cold climate here.

I just saw a video about a crash test that if you strap a child in a winter jacket in a car seat, it is actually too loose, and the child would fly out of the seat (with the jacket still in the carseat strapped) on collision. I never took out his coat until after watching that video! It was so scary! But even that, there are time when it is very cold outside, and we are just riding for 5 minutes to school on local roads, I'd be like ah it's ok, just make sure you zip up the jacket before you get into the seat. I know. I know

But funny sometimes DS (almost 4) insists on not wearing his coat when he gets on the seat because he knows he would fly out of the car hahaha. (I showed him the crash test news segment video too)

This is one of the things I hate most about winter, but yes I take my toddlers coat off in the car. I always make sure to start my car beforehand and he usually has a sweatshirt underneath.

@irene: yes this. The today show did a great piece and Car Seats for the Littles has a good article about not wearing jackets or really anything minimally bulky in the car seat. It shows a baby being literally ejected from the seat. It also shows how after fully tightening the straps with a child in a coat, then removing the coat and how much extra slack is in the straps (spoiler: more than you would think)
I'd never tell another parent to their face that their child was improperly restrained but it is nice to know the information is out there and people are recognizing it. It's like the rear facing debate. No one wants to be told they are making unsafe parenting choices. I guess people can read the information and make their decisions on the way that fits their family best. It all comes down to risk vs benefit.

Our temps don't get TOO low here and she has a puffy coat so she never wears it in the car.

No, our LO wears a very thin down coat. I specifically bought it because it was supposed to be safe in car seats. She actually doesn't even wear it outside in the winter because it is too thin.

His fleece jackets are the only ones we leave on. We take off all winter coats otherwise, and we are in freeeeeeeezing MI. We keep a fleece blanket in the car. I don't really pay attention to other people in their cars though.

I leave fleece jackets and sweatshirts on but I will not put her in the car seat in an actual winter coat or anything big and puffy.

@Cherrybee: car seat safety is defo not taken as seriously here, my entire family (and DH's) think I am insane and they are offended because it's like by doing things differently I am implying their practices aren't safe.

We do take coats off. I sent DH a video about it the other day and it convinced him. The baby wears a fleece sometimes though. He typically goes straight from being worn (with a babywearing coat over the both of us) into the car though, so it is easier with him.

Yup! Anything thicker than his fleece jacket comes off. Even DS knows it does and he's 2.5. He'll get in the car, take off his jacket, then climb into his car seat. Even if I'm not the one putting him in the car seat, the tells DH or whomever is back there with him "Jacket!" as in hey! I need to take off my jacket.

Nothing thicker than a fleece zip-up. I also bring a fleece blanket for car rides if necessary.

LO is 10 weeks so I'm still trying to figure out what's ok to leave on. The thickest thing we have is the bear bunting suit from carters. Is it too thick for the car seat? http://www.carters.com/carters-baby-boy-jackets-and-outerwear/V_127-912.html

@peaches1038: we used something like that! Ad long as it's not super puffy, which it doesn't look like it is, I think it's fine!

We do leave coats on, but she has specific car seat coats that we use for the car. I bought a Patagonia down sweater and a baby bunting last year. This year, we alternate between a fleece and an LL Bean coat that is easily compressible. We have street parking and no remote start, so we have to be careful about keeping her warm!

Yep, they wear fleeces in teh car. My youngest is still in a bucket seat, so i tuck a blanket around her for transport. My oldest we wait and I unbuckle her, she puts her heavy coat on before getting out of car. It's a pain, but it's safest.

@irene: I saw a similarvideo on the Today show (and watched twice)... but in the video they didn't have the front strap up on the dummy-babies chest so he flew out. I think if the strap had been up, it would've have happened that way so they totally dramatized it.
That said, I had bought a coat that was small enough to be worn in the car seat but since he's outgrown it his new coat is fairly puffy. When it's -7 degrees out like it has been (and we're just going 5 miles to daycare), I leave it on and just make sure the straps are really tight. For long trips I will take his coat off.