TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Today, on National Heatstroke Prevention Day, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is urging the public to help prevent child heatstroke.
More than a thousand children in the U.S. have died from heatstroke in a car since 1998, and 39 of those deaths were last year, according to NHTSA.
The agency is reminding people to, “stop, look and lock” – meaning stop to look in the backseat of your car before you get out and then lock your car to prevent any kids from getting in and risk locking themselves in.
“People think that they can leave their child in a car no matter what age they are – run inside the house to grab something, run inside a store, things like that,” said Northwest Fire District Paramedic, Robert Emans.
Emans explained that no amount of time is safe to leave your child alone in a car. He also said some people forget or don’t know that their car may shut off after a certain amount of time. Then the car will quickly warm up.
“Once you get into the triple digits, you’re seeing an average of 20 to 30 degrees higher temperatures inside of the car than you are in the outside air,” Emans explained.
A child's body temperature also rises three to five times faster than an adult's, according to NHTSA.
“Their body doesn’t regulate the temperature as well as a normal healthy adult,” Emans said. “Their body temperatures can fluctuate to get cold or hot extremely fast and if you miss the first sign of it, you’re already too late.”
Heatstroke symptoms, according to Mayo Clinic include:
- High body temperature
- Change in mental state or behavior
- Change in sweating pattern
- Nausea and vomiting
- Flushed skin
- Rapid breathing
- Racing heart rate
- Headache
NHTSA urges you to act immediately and call 9-1-1 if you see a child alone in a locked car.
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Madison Thomas joined KGUN 9 in July of 2023 as a multimedia journalist. She graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2023 with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She has lived in Arizona her entire life and grew up in Douglas. Madison is thrilled to share the stories from the community she grew up in. Share your story ideas and important issues with Madison by emailing madison.thomas@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
