Never Leave Your Child Alone in a Car

During the hot Texas summer, the danger of children dying from being left unattended in vehicles increases, warns Jackie Farrell, Texas AgriLife Extension Service Agent, in Deaf Smith County. Safe Kids USA has launched a new campaign titled, Never Leave Your Child Alone in a Car to help get the word out about the dangers of hyperthermia.

The problem is that temperatures in parked vehicles rise very quickly. According to figures from San Francisco State University’s Department of Geosciences, in just 10 minutes, the temperature can increase by almost 20 degrees.

A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s, making children more vulnerable to a deadly condition known as hyperthermia, or heat stroke. Heat stroke can occur at body temperatures above 104 degrees. Even mild outside temperatures can pose a threat, but with Texas temperatures climbing into the upper 90s each day, the danger becomes even greater.

Statistics from the Department of Geosciences at San Francisco State University show that Texas leads the nation with the highest number of vehicle hyperthermia deaths during the years 1998-2010. During that time, there were 71 deaths. There have already been 24 hyperthermia deaths nationally so far this year, with six having occurred in Texas. Last year in Texas, there were 13 vehicle heat-related deaths. Nationally, there were 49, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In more than half of the cases during that time period, the death was due to the child being ‘forgotten’ by the caregiver. Such deaths are preventable when parents take precautions to make sure that children are not left alone in vehicles and cannot gain access to unlocked vehicles. According to Safe Kids, one-third of the heat-related deaths in 2000 were due to children becoming trapped in a vehicle they had crawled into.

Although many parents may think that this will never happen to them, it is a tragedy that can and has happened to many families. It is important that parents talk to their babysitters, grandparents, and others who care for their children to make them aware of the dangers of hyperthermia deaths.

Look for the Never Leave Your Child Alone in a Car campaign promotions, and follow these safety tips from NHTSA that can help caregivers reduce the risk of children being left unattended in hot vehicles:

• Never leave infants or children in a parked vehicle, even if the windows are partially open.
• Do not let children play in an unattended vehicle. Teach them that a vehicle is not a play area.
• Make a habit of looking in the vehicle – front and back – before locking the door and walking away.
• If you are dropping a child off at childcare, and it's normally your spouse or partner who drops them off, have your spouse or partner call you to make sure the drop went according to plan.
• Ask your childcare provider to call you if your child does not show up for childcare.
• Do things to remind yourself that a child is in the vehicle, such as writing yourself a note and putting the note where you will see it when you leave the vehicle; or placing your purse, briefcase, or something else you need in the back seat so you will have to check the back seat when you leave the vehicle. Another reminder is to keep an object in the car seat, such as a stuffed toy. When the child is buckled in, place the object where the driver will notice it when he or she is leaving the vehicle.
• Always lock vehicle doors and trunks, and keep keys out of children’s reach.
• If a child is missing, check the vehicle first, including the trunk.
• If you see a child alone in a hot vehicle, call 911 immediately.