Hot Cars are no Place to Leave Kids

Temperatures are at or near 100 degrees across the country, it is important that kids and animals not be left in cars.

Below is a summary of the information KidsAndCars.org has been gathering for over a decade.
• Child vehicular heat stroke deaths for 2010 YTD: 49
• Child vehicular heat stroke deaths for 2009: 33
• Child vehicular heat stroke deaths from 1998-2010, at least: 495
• Average number of child vehicular heat stroke deaths per year since 1998: 37 (one every 10 days)
• The highest number of fatalities for a one-year time period took place in 2010: 49

Some of these tragedies are caused by parents forgetting their child is in the car. Kids and Cars and Safe Kids USA urge parents to check the back seat every time they exit the vehicle and to create a reminder system for themselves.

• Some parents leave their cell phone or purse on the floor near the car seat to ensure they retrieve it along with the child.
• Others remind themselves by placing a stuffed animal in the car seat when the child isn’t using the seat and putting the toy in the front seat when the child is tucked in the car seat.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood highlighted the problem of hyperthermia and children in a past blog post : Summer’s Heat Requires Extra Car Safety Vigilance. On the same day, NHTSA issued a Consumer Advisory: Parents and Caregivers Reminded Never to Leave Children in Cars.

Others here at the Injuryboard have also looked at the tragic events:

Some Statistics Regarding Hot Car Deaths, Jeff Rasansky | July 30, 2008 5:18 PM

It’s Illegal To Leave Kids Alone In A Hot Car, Eddie Farah | July 12, 2007 11:01 PM