The Dangers of Leaving A Child Unattended In A Hot Car

You just can’t beat a summer in Philly. Think about it: Ballpark hot dogs and running the bases with the kids at Citizens Bank Park make summer feel right. But there is one thing you can beat: car seats in the heat.

Each year, an average of 37 children die from being left in a hot car by a parent or caregiver. Far too often, parents or caregivers get into a routine and fail to remember their most precious cargo: their child. This has been a seasonal epidemic since 1990. More than 600 children have passed away from being trapped in a hot car ever since.

Leaving a child in a car is no joke. It can lead to heat stroke, brain damage and in extreme cases, death. Car interiors can be up to 40 degrees hotter than outside temperatures. Combine that with an infant’s body temperature, which rises three times faster than an adult’s. This is not something to take lightly.

The biggest mistake anyone can make is thinking it won’t happen to them or their children. Stay up to date with these major keys to keeping children safe in an automobile.

Major Keys for Keeping Your Child Safe:

• Never leave a child in a car alone, even if the windows are cracked or you are just running into the gas station to pay.
• Keep car keys out of the reach of children.
• Place your bag/briefcase in the back of your seat so you have to look in the back seat before getting out.
• Teach children not to play in or around vehicles and to alert an adult when a child is playing in a vehicle without supervision.
• Ensure your children understand the dangers of trunk and automobile entrapment (suffocation, heat stroke, and hypothermia)
• Take advantage of smart technology. Sense A Life is a sensory alert system for mobile devices that will alert you if you are reach a certain distance from your child in an automobile.

For more information how to keep your family safe in the car during the hot summer season, click here.