Editorial

July worst month the hot car dangers

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

By one count, 23 kids have died from being left in hot cars so far this year. Sadly, since July is the most dangerous time for hot-car deaths, that number may have climbed between the time it was written and the time it was read.

One of the latest was a 3-year-old boy who died after only 35 minutes in a locked car in Texas on an 86-degree day.

The boy’s grandmother, also his guardian, was mowing a neighbor’s lawn, a teenager was watching several other children, and somehow the toddler was overlooked for a short time.

When the grandmother discovered the boy was missing, she pulled him from the car, attempted to revive him, but it was too late.

A 2-year-old boy died in a hot car in California, elsewhere, a 1-year-old girl died in a hot truck after her dad accidentally left her there all day.

And not all such deaths are from forgetful adults; three recent deaths included children who got into vehicles on their own.

Children’s small bodies heat up much faster than adults, and internal organs begin to shut down when the core body temperature reaches 1-4 degrees, according to the National Safety Council. When it’s 86 degrees outdoors, for example, it takes only about 10 minutes for the inside of a car to reach 105 degrees.

KidsAndCars.org offers the following tips.

— “Look Before You Lock” — get in the habit of always opening the back door to check the back seat before leaving your vehicle to make sure no child has been left behind.

— Create a reminder to check the back seat by putting something there you know you’ll need, like your cell phone, handbag, employee ID, briefcase, etc., so you have to open the back door to retrieve that item every time you park.

— Keep a large stuffed animal in the child’s car seat. When the child is in the car seat, place the stuffed animal in the front passenger seat as a reminder.

— Make sure you have a strict policy in place with your childcare provider about daycare drop-off so that everyone involved in the care of your child is aware of their whereabouts. Parents are responsible for letting childcare providers know if the schedule changes and providers should call immediately if the child is unaccounted for.

— Keep vehicles locked at all times and ask visitors and neighbors to do the same.

— If a child goes missing, immediately check inside passenger compartments and trunks of all vehicles in the area, even if they are locked.

— If you see a child alone in a vehicle, get involved; call 911 and if they seem hot or sick, get them out of the vehicle as quickly as possible.

— Be especially careful during busy times, schedule changes, periods of crisis or holidays — when many tragedies occur.

— Use drive-through services when available for restaurants, banks, pharmacies, dry cleaners, etc., and pay for gas at the pump.

Of course, it goes without say, that most of the same cautions and tips apply to pets.

For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/2JcNbNx

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