It’s a frightening number: On average, 37 children die every year after being left behind or becoming trapped in a car. Those numbers come from a national group that tracks pediatric heatstroke deaths in vehicles.
Consumer Reports is here with important safety information every parent and caregiver needs to know.
No parent thinks they would forget their child in a hot car. But the unfortunate truth is that it can happen to anyone. Research shows that stress, sleep deprivation, and a change in routine can make people more forgetful. Conditions many parents and caregivers know all too well.
And while the risk of heatstroke increases in warmer weather, it doesn’t take a heat wave to create dangerous conditions, according to research by Consumer Reports. Even when it was 61 degrees outside, the temperature inside a closed car reached more than 105 degrees in just one hour in our tests—an extremely dangerous and potentially fatal level for a child. Children’s bodies heat up three to five times faster than adults. It’s never safe to leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even with the windows cracked or the vehicle parked in the shade.
NoHeatStroke.org reports that deaths in cars have included children from 5-day-old babies to 14-year-old kids. And while some of these tragic deaths have occurred when children gained access to a car on their own, in the majority of cases, the child was unknowingly left in the car.
Because of this, make a routine habit to check the back seat every time you drive! You can create a visual reminder by placing your child’s bag, jacket, or hat next to you in the front. You can also get in the habit of putting your purse or bag in the back seat, so you’re forced to check it when you exit the car. One more safety tip to remember: Always keep your car locked, so children can’t gain access on their own.
Simple changes for your daily routine – that could save a life.