Understanding The Dangers Of Leaving Kids In Hot Vehicles

In the past 3 decades, almost 1050 kids have died from heat stroke because they were left in hot vehicles. In fact, according to experts, "Vehicular heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash vehicle-related deaths for children 14 and younger in the United States."

What's sad about these statistics is the realization that ALL of these deaths could have been avoided.

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In a culture of overworked and distracted people, it's not hard to see how something like forgetting a sleeping baby in the back seat of a car could easily happen.

But with an average of 37 kids killed in these situation, each year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (or NHSTA) in cooperation with the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety, and working together to bring awareness to this totally tragic and entirely preventable issue.

Their slogan is "Once You Park, Stop, Look, Lock."

According to Erica Davis of the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety, toddlers and young children are the most at risk of being accidentally left in hot cars.

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"Since 1998, when safety advocates first began tracking, vehicular heatstroke has killed more than 965 children. Each death was preventable. More than half (52.6%) of these tragedies occur when a child is 'forgotten' by a parent or caregiver and left in a hot car. A busy parent or caregiver may unintentionally forget that a quiet or sleeping child is in the back of the vehicle. "

Pediatric Heat Stroke can happen during any month of the year, because children, the body heat of a child can rise 3 to 5 times as fast as that of an adult, and the temperature inside a vehicle can increase by up to 50 degrees in just a small amount of time.

Officials on the state and national levels are encouraging parents and care givers to be mindful of these realities, and to make sure to check their vehicles every time they get out of them, and then lock the doors so kids can't get back into the cars without adults being aware they're in there. They say it's also important to talk to kids about the dangers of hot cars, and what do if they ever get trapped inside of one.

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"• Make it a habit to look in the back seat EVERY time you exit the car. Leave your
wallet or purse in the back seat where you must retrieve it as a reminder.
• NEVER leave a child in a vehicle unattended.
• ALWAYS lock the car and put the keys out of reach, even in your driveway.
• Ask your daycare provider to call you within a few minutes if your child is late for
daycare.
• Teach children that if they can't get out of the rear doors, try the front doors and to
honk the horn to get the attention of others."

Officials also recommend that if you ever see a child in a hot car, as a bystander, that you call 911.

If the child is in distress or unresponsive, they say to try to remove the child from the car, even if that means you have to damage the car to gain access to inside.

There are actually laws on the books in many states, including Maine, that safeguard "Good Samaritans" from being sued when they help folks in emergency situations like that.

So remember, " Once You Park, Stop, Look, Lock. "