With more than half of the country bracing for record-high temperatures in the coming days, Safe Kids is reminding parents that the space inside of a car can quickly rise to deadly temperatures —and that caregivers should never leave children alone in a vehicle, even for a minute. Doing so puts children at serious risk of heatstroke, which has resulted in seven deaths so far this year and at least 1,132 hot car deaths since 1998. In more than half of these cases, the parent or caregiver unknowingly left the child in the vehicle.
“Our goal is to make sure that heatstroke doesn’t claim the life of another child,” said Torine Creppy, president of Safe Kids Worldwide. “Many people are shocked to learn that the temperature within a car can rise 20 degrees in as little as 10 minutes and keep getting hotter with each passing minute. And cracking the window doesn’t help. With temperatures raising to dangerous levels, we’re calling on everyone to be part of the solution and help save lives.”
Heatstroke sets in when the body isn’t able to cool itself quickly enough. A child’s body heats up three to five times faster than adult’s, making them more susceptible to heatstroke. When a child’s internal temperature reaches 104 degrees, major organs begin to shut down, and when that temperature reaches 107 degrees, the child can die.
Safe Kids is asking everyone to help protect kids by remembering to ACT:
· A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving your child alone in a car, not even for a minute. And make sure to keep your car locked when you’re not in it so kids don’t get in on their own.
· C: Create reminders so you don’t forget to take your child from the car. Put something next to your child that you will need at your final destination, such as a briefcase, a purse or a cell phone. This is especially important if you’re not following your normal routine
· T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. Emergency personnel want you to call. They are trained to respond to these situations. One call could save a life.
“The important thing to remember is that these tragedies are 100 percent preventable with a few simple precautions,” said Creppy. “By working together, we can save lives and save parents from the anguish of losing a child.”
To learn more safety tips, visit: http://www.safekids.org/heatstroke