You take a quick phone call. You run into the store for just a minute. A detour changes your route on the morning commute.
These common scenarios can distract you – and divert you from your typical daily routines. When your child is in the car, these distractions can have tragic consequences.
According to the National Safety Council, in 2018, 53 children died in hot cars under circumstances much like the ones mentioned above.
Although these incidents are more common in the summer months, they’re not limited to July and August. From 1998 to 2018, hot car deaths have been recorded in 47 states and every month, according to NoHeatStroke.org.
“On average, the first death of each calendar year occurs during the month of March,” said Amy Artuso, senior program manager for grants, transportation and advocacy at the NSC. “It’s absolutely not just a summertime issue.”
How does it happen?
The inside of your vehicle can heat up quickly after the engine is turned off because of the sun’s rays. The more direct the rays, the faster the temperature rises.
Artuso says the temperature can increase up to 19° F in the first 10 minutes after parking your car and turning off the engine.
“The windows are transparent and the sun’s rays can get into the vehicle,” said Robert Ritter, director of impaired driving and occupant protection at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Especially if your car has a dark dashboard or interior, “these will absorb the sun’s radiation, heat up more and then radiate that heat into the entire vehicle.”
This means that on an 80-degree day, the inside of your car can heat up to nearly 100° F in just 10 minutes. Couple that with the fact that, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a child’s body heats up three to five times faster than an adult’s body.
“When their core body temperate reaches 104° F, that’s when things start to get bad,” Artuso said. “When their temperature reaches 107° F, that’s when the situation can become fatal.”
Even with your car windows cracked open, the heat can continue to rise.
Why your parked car is a concern
With more parents working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, cars parked in garages, driveways and along the street are a greater concern.
NoHeatStroke.org reports that more than 25% of child deaths in hot cars are attributed to a child gaining access to a car. Although a child can get into an unlocked car, they may not be able to get out.
“The key fob is not a toy,” Ritter cautioned. “Keep your doors locked.”
Helpful reminders
Reminding yourself about your child being in the back seat is as simple as your left shoe. It’s one of many objects that can help parents and caregivers avoid the tragedy of a child’s death in a hot car. The solution can involve common items that you place near your child or with you in the front seat.
When you exit the car without that item or see a unique item with you, it’ll trigger your memory of your child’s presence in the back seat. Artuso and Ritter offered some suggestions:
- Take off your left shoe and put it with your child to avoid succumbing to distraction or a change in routine.
- Place your cellphone – one of the devices you interact with most – in the back seat.
- Place something of monetary value in the back seat, such as a wallet or purse.
- Keep a stuffed animal in a child’s car seat. When you place your child into the seat, move the stuffed animal to the front seat as a visual reminder that your child is traveling with you.
Learn more
The NSC offers a free online training course at nsc.org/hotcars to educate your family and caregivers about the dangers of hot cars.
“This really can happen to anybody,” Artuso said. “I encourage parents to have anybody who is transporting their child to take the training.”
The council and the NHTSA also have partnered with the National Child Passenger Safety Board to provide helpful safety resources at CPSBoard.org/heatstroke.
“Unfortunately, this has happened many times to loving, caring and protective parents,” Ritter said. “It’s really important for parents to talk about it. Just like you’re going to tell a caregiver what food to feed your child or any other safety issues in your home, you want to make sure they understand the safety issues of transporting your child.”
