Hot Cars & Heatstroke

A baby asleep in the back seat on a day when your routine changed; a quick errand 'just for a minute'; an unlocked car in the driveway with the keys or fob on the counter; a child who has gone quiet and is not where you expected.

If you see a child alone in a locked car, call 911 right away; NHTSA says a child in distress from the heat should be removed from the car as quickly as possible and cooled fast. To prevent it, NHTSA's advice: never leave a child in a vehicle for any length of time; cracking the windows or parking in the shade does little to change the temperature inside. Make it a habit to check the whole vehicle, back seat first, before you lock and walk away. NHTSA says over 50% of these deaths happen when a parent or caregiver forgets a child in the car, and that even great parents can forget: a changed routine or a caregiver who isn't used to driving the child raises the risk. This happens to attentive, loving people, so lean on a system, not memory. Put your purse, phone or briefcase in the back seat, or a stuffed animal in the front seat, as a reminder; ask your childcare provider to call you if your child doesn't show up. Keep the car locked and the keys and fobs out of reach, because nearly 3 in 10 deaths happen when a child gets into the vehicle alone (over 230 children since 1998, NHTSA), and teach kids that a car is not a play area. NHTSA says even a mid-60s day can push a car's interior above 110°F, and the temperature can climb almost 20°F in the first 10 minutes.