Children Dying In Hot Cars: 8 Deaths Reported In 1 Week

Children Dying In Hot Cars

During the first week of August, eight children in the United States reportedly died after being left by their caregivers inside hot cars.

According to statistics, there have been more than 550 of such incident across America since 1998. Twenty-three of which occurred this year.

Children died from hyperthermia after being in hot cars, trucks, vans and SUV's. More than half of these reported heat stroke deaths occurred when a distracted caregiver forgot their child was in the car or truck. Other fatalities happened when a child was playing in an unattended vehicle and became trapped or when a child was intentionally left unattended by an adult "for just a few minutes."

Here are safety tips from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to prevent hyperthermia:

• Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle.
• Do not let your children play in an unattended vehicle. Teach them that a vehicle is not a play area.
• Never leave infants or children in a parked vehicle, even if the windows are partially open or with the engine running and the air conditioning on.
• Make a habit of looking in the vehicle - front and back - before locking the door and walking away.
• If you are bringing your child to daycare, and normally it's your spouse or partner who brings them, have your spouse or partner call you to make sure everything went according to plan.
• Ask your childcare provider to call you if your child does not show up for childcare. Do things to remind yourself that a child is in the vehicle, such as:
  • Writing yourself a note and putting the note where you will see it when you leave the vehicle;
  • Placing your purse, briefcase or something else you need in the back seat so that you will have to check the back seat when you leave the vehicle; or
  • Keeping an object in the car seat, such as a stuffed toy. When the child is buckled in, place the object where the driver will notice it when he or she is leaving the vehicle.
• Always lock vehicle doors and trunks and keep keys out of children's reach. If a child is missing, check the vehicle first, including the trunk.
• If you see a child alone in a hot vehicle, call the police. If they are in distress due to heat, get them out as quickly as possible. Warning signs may include: red, hot, and moist or dry skin, no sweating, a strong rapid pulse or a slow weak pulse, nausea or acting strangely. Cool the child rapidly. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.