Teach Your Kids Car Safety

Temperatures are heating up as summer gets into full swing. I’m thrilled to be back in flip-flops, but on a more serious note, summer is also a dangerous time for kids and cars. There have already been five tragic and preventable deaths of toddlers in hot parked cars so far this summer, according to nonprofit safety organization KidsandCars.org.

Some of these preventable tragedies have resulted from parents and caregivers forgetting a sleeping child in the back, some are from a parent or caregiver intentionally leaving the child in the back to “run a quick errand,” and others are from a child unknowingly climbing into a car and getting stuck inside.

Related: Too Many Kids Die of In-Car Heatstroke Each Year

Regardless of the temperature outside, we need to do our part as parents to teach our kids never to play in or around cars. They can be deadly. Tragedies can occur from a child playing in a car and knocking it into gear, which happened recently at a New York City day care facility. Other tragedies include playing with the windows and getting caught and strangled in a power-closing window. Back-over accidents are another big issue, occurring when a child plays around or under a car in a garage, driveway or parking lot, and the driver can’t see him or her.

How do we prevent these tragic deaths? Here are some safety tips culled from information provided by the International Parking Institute, an association of parking professionals that promotes safety awareness through its Parking Safety Matters initiative, and KidsandCars.org:

• Never leave a child alone in parked car — never, not even for a minute. In many states, leaving a child in a car unattended is a criminal offense.
• Call 911 if you see a child alone in a car. Every minute counts.
• Never leave your car without checking the backseat. Put your wallet or phone in back as a reminder. If your child is still in a car seat, put a stuffed toy on it when you take the child out. When the safety seat is occupied, keep the toy up front as a visual reminder.
• Arrange for your child care provider to call if your child doesn’t arrive on time.
• If your child is missing, check nearby pools first, then the car and trunk of the car immediately.
• Always lock your car, even in the garage or driveway.
• Teach your children that vehicles are never to be used as play areas. This includes both the inside and the outside of cars.
• Never allow your kids to “pretend” to drive the car, whether it’s parked or creeping through the car-pool lane at slow speed.
• Keep car keys and remote control devices where children can’t reach them.

Last year, 194 children were killed in non-traffic-related accidents in and around cars. Every single one of those was preventable. For more tips and advice on how to keep your kids safe all year long, visit KidsandCars.org, which works to prevent child deaths in around cars through education and awareness.