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It’s been another very hot summer, and it’s not over yet. Tragically, every year, dozens of children die in vehicles across the United States from heat-related illnesses with 53 deaths recorded by National Highway Safety Administration in 2019 and over 20 so far in 2020. According to NHTSA, even when it’s as low as 57 degrees outside, when a vehicle is parked and not moving, the interior can reach a deadly 110 degrees in just a few minutes. If it’s warmer outside, the interior heats up even faster and can reach higher temperatures. Sadly, many of child hot car deaths involved a parent or caregiver who, after some change in their normal routine, simply forgot that a child was left unattended in the vehicle.
DID YOU KNOW?:
· A change in daily routine, lack of sleep, stress, fatigue, and distractions are things ALL new parents experience and are just some of the reasons children have been unknowingly left alone in vehicles.
· 80% of the increase in temperature happens in the first 10 minutes. Cracking the windows does not help slow the heating process OR decrease the maximum temperature.
· Rear-facing car seats look the same whether there is a baby in it or not. Children, especially babies, often fall asleep in their rear-facing child safety seats; becoming quiet, unobtrusive little passengers.
· In 2019, all major automakers pledged to install Rear Seat Reminder systems by 2025.
