Safe Kids Alerts Caregivers to the Hazards of Hot Cars

As an unprecedented heat dome descends on the U.S., safety experts warn that kids are at risk of a fatal heatstroke if left alone in a car

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With more than half of the country facing record-high temperatures this week, Safe Kids is reminding parents that the space inside of a car can quickly rise to deadly temperatures —and that caregivers should never leave children alone in a vehicle, even for a minute.

Doing so puts children at serious risk of heatstroke, which has resulted nearly 1,000 hot car deaths since 1998. 

To learn more safety tips, visit: http://www.safekids.org/heatstroke

"Our goal is to make sure that heatstroke doesn't claim the life of another child," said Torine Creppy, president of Safe Kids Worldwide. "Many people are shocked to learn how hot the inside of a car can get. Even on an 80-degree day, it can rise 20 degrees in as little as 10 minutes and keep getting hotter with each passing minute. And cracking the window doesn't help. Whether you are a parent, a caregiver, or a concerned bystander, we're calling on everyone to be part of the solution and help save lives."

Heatstroke sets in when the body isn't able to cool itself quickly enough. A child's body heats up three to five times faster than adult's, making them more susceptible to heatstroke. When a child's internal temperature reaches 104 degrees, major organs begin to shut down, and when that temperature reaches 107 degrees, the child can die. 

Safe Kids is asking everyone to help protect kids by remembering to ACT: 

• A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving your child alone in a car, not even for a minute. And make sure to keep your car locked when you're not in it so kids don't get in on their own.
  
  
  
  
• C: Create reminders so you don't forget to take your child from the car. Put something next to your child that you will need at your final destination, such as a briefcase, a purse or a cell phone. This is especially important if you're not following your normal routine
  
  
  
  
• T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. Emergency personnel want you to call. They are trained to respond to these situations. One call could save a life.

To schedule an interview with an expert, contact Gary Karton at gkarton@safekids.org.

About Safe Kids Worldwide

Safe Kids Worldwide is a nonprofit organization working to reduce unintentional injuries to children ages 0-14 and build equitable and sustained systems that support injury prevention. Safe Kids works with strategic partners and an extensive network of more than 400 coalitions in the U.S. to reduce traffic injuries, drownings, sleep-related deaths, falls, burns, poisonings, and more. Learn more at safekids.org. 

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SOURCE Safe Kids Worldwide