It’s spring, and although much of the country is experiencing cooler than average temperatures, children are still at risk of dying from heatstroke in the car. No matter the season, it’s important to remember that heatstroke can kill year-round.
Related: A Locked Car Can Prevent Child Heatstroke Death
Two children have already died in hot cars this year, and kids are especially vulnerable; their bodies heat up three to five times faster than adults’. Couple that with the fact that sunlight can turn a car into an oven, even on a relatively cool day, and you have a recipe for disaster.
It’s a preventable disaster, however, and caregivers need to be extra vigilant. Forgetting a child may sound unlikely, but with all the busyness of parenting, it’s a more common threat than you might think. In fact, 30 to 40 kids die of in-car heatstroke each year.
Easy Tips to Keep Your Child Safe
If someone else is driving your child or your daily routine has been altered in some way, always check to make sure your child has arrived safely. Research shows that many of these accidents happen when a caregiver’s routine is disrupted.
Stash your purse or briefcase behind the driver’s seat rather than on the front passenger seat. That way, you’ll have to open the rear door to grab your bag, making it pretty hard to miss your baby.
Never — and we mean never — leave your child unattended in the car, even if you’re just running into the gas station or grocery store.
Finally, if you see a child alone in a car, get involved. If the child seems hot or sick, call 911 immediately.
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