The heat dome that has been affecting much of the country for over a week continues to pose dangers for millions of people.
Annually, an average of 181 individuals succumb to heat-related illnesses in the U.S., with children being particularly at risk. A child’s body can heat up three times faster than an adult’s.
Approximately 40 children die in hot cars each year, equating to about one child every nine days. Most of these fatalities involve children under the age of 3.
Since 1990, more than 1,000 children have lost their lives in hot cars. In almost all cases, a caring parent inadvertently left the child in the backseat.
Director of the nonprofit organization Kids and Car Safety, Amber Rollins, stated, “It’s one of those things that nobody believes could happen to them because if you love your children, you constantly think about them. The notion of losing awareness of their presence or forgetting them is inconceivable. However, after studying this issue for three decades and working with affected families, we have learned that this tragedy can befall even the most loving, responsible, educated, and attentive parents.”
A shift in routine, insufficient sleep, stress, and other distractions are among the factors contributing to these heartbreaking incidents.
Rollins added, “It doesn’t necessarily require a significant change in routine. It could be something as minor as receiving a phone call in the car or taking an alternate route to work.”
For the past twenty years, Kids and Car Safety have been advocating for Congress to mandate the installation of technology in new vehicles to detect and alert parents if a child is left in the backseat.
Yet, the battle continues.
Preventing hot car deaths in children
Some simple practices can help safeguard your child:
- Place the diaper bag in the front seat as a visual reminder.
- You can also leave a personal item in the back seat, such as your employee ID badge or cell phone.
- Another precaution is to request your child care provider to promptly contact you if your child has not arrived at the facility.
On a summer day, the interior of a vehicle can quickly reach 125 degrees. Furthermore, tragedies have occurred even when the outside temperature was just 60 degrees.
Until lawmakers mandate the inclusion of heat safety detectors in vehicles, which is showing some progress, the best course of action for parents is to use visual cues to prevent these tragic events.
Heat remains the leading cause of weather-related fatalities overall.
