TUCSON, Ariz. — With temperatures on the rise in Arizona, advocates are reminding parents not to leave children in cars -- for any amount of time.
NoHeatStroke.com reports 52 children died of heatstroke in vehicles across the U.S. in 2019 -- four of them in Arizona.
The Tucson Fire Department offered some advice to help keep kids safe.
"There is no amount of time that's appropriate to leave kids in the car," TFD Battalion Chief Barrett Baker said. "And then make sure you have some system in place, taking stuffed animals or blankeys and putting it in your lap -- driver side -- because when I unbuckle and get out of the car, it automatically reminds me. If it's in the passenger seat, I might not ever think of looking over there."
A majority of heatstroke victims were under the age of 3. Arizona does have a good Samaritan law in place -- protecting people who need to break into a car to save the life of a child or pet.
