Children are exposed to dangers as serious as heatstroke and death, once they are left unattended in hot vehicles. Consequently, over 630 kids in the United States alone have lost their lives in the past 15 years.
Their parents have given a variety of reasons for allowing this to happen, everything from “I forgot”, “I didn’t know they were there”, to “I just ran in to grab some groceries”. Tragedies like this are preventable and here is some information to help you with that.
Why It’s Never Alright
Some parents think that a minute or two is fine, and leaving a window cracked will prevent any harm. This couldn’t be farther from the truth – leaving a child in a hot vehicle is never alright, for any amount of time, no matter what precautions you think you have taken.
When a child’s body temperature reaches 104 degrees or higher, they are in danger of heatstroke. In the sun, your vehicle is like a sauna, the temperature can increase by as much as 30 to 40 degrees in less than half an hour. Due to children’s size versus the amount of heat they create, and having not yet fully developed the ability to sweat, they can succumb to the heat much more rapidly than adults.
Couple all this with a child getting upset and crying, because they are alone and uncomfortable, and you can imagine the stress that is put on a child’s body. Parents need to be aware of the dangers that leaving a child in a hot vehicle poses. The information is out there and it is up to you to use it, your child’s life depends on it.
What Should You Do If You See This
If you see a child trapped in a hot vehicle, should you get involved? The answer is yes, don’t continue walking into the store (or wherever you are going). Instead, dial 911 right away, give them all the information, stay with the child and keep the operator on the phone until help arrives.
Assess the situation, you already know the child is in danger, but if the child is already frantic and in danger of succumbing to the heat, you must get the child out of the car, as quickly as possible.
Check Your Vehicle and Don’t Forget
Most kids are fascinated by vehicles and want to play in them (even without your knowledge). To prevent children from playing in parked vehicles, make sure that you lock it when you park, so that children can’t get in to play. Check your vehicle before you leave, to make sure there are no children there (one could have got in to play and fell asleep), and check again when you reach your destination.
Don’t forget your child is in the car, set alarms for when you are supposed to drop them off, to remind yourself. This is another reason why checking your car every time you get out is important.
This information will help you to prevent this tragedy from happening to you or anyone you love.
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