It seems like we always hear about child seat safety, childproofing or pool safety for our kids, but as summer approaches we must remember some hidden dangers. One of these dangers is the family car.
Around the country, and especially in South Florida’s sweltering heat, getting left or trapped in a hot car can be just as dangerous as getting in a car accident. This year alone three children have died as a result of being left in a car, and some of these occurrences happened on mild days with only 70 degrees.
In most cases, children get hurt when they are “forgotten” in a hot car, a child is playing in an unattended vehicle, gets stuck in the trunk, or when an adult intentionally leaves a child in a car.
On a typical summer day the temperature inside a car, even if the windows are rolled down a little, can quickly rise above 120 degrees; and on a mild day the temperature in a car can surpass 100 degrees. It takes only 10 minutes for the temperature inside a hot car to rise 19 degrees, and in 20 minutes, it rises 29 degrees.
At these temperatures, kids are at risk for heat stroke, which can lead to a high fever, dehydration, seizures, stroke and death. To protect your children yearlong, be mindful of the following:
• DO NOT leave your children in a car. Cars can heat up quickly, especially on a hot sunny day.
• Always lock your car and store the keys in a location where your kids cannot get to them.
• Talk to your kids about playing in the car by themselves without adult supervision.
• Install a trunk release mechanism, so kids cannot get trapped in the trunk.
• Get your children out of the car first when you get home, and then take everything else like groceries or your dry cleaning out of the vehicle.
• When leaving your car, check to make sure everyone is out of the car. Do not overlook any children that have fallen asleep in the car.
A way to never forget a child in the car is the stuffed animal method. Simply get a stuffed animal and place it in the child’s empty car seat. When you place the child in the seat, the stuffed animal is placed in a visible location, like the front seat. When you take the child out of the car, place the animal back in the car seat. This visual will help remind you there is a child in the back. This comes in handy when the driver, who normally does not transport the child, goes into “autopilot” mode and drives directly to work.
Even if you leave a child in a car that is running with the air conditioning on, does not mean that they are any safer. There is still another danger. A child may accidentally put the car into drive, or get caught in a closing power window.
Keep your children safe this summer and year round by always bringing them with you when running errands, or use a drive-through if it is available.