Experts say most of these tragedies are preventable

By Ann Powers
Editor

PALO PINTO COUNTY – Texas ranks number one nationwide in hot car deaths among children with 155 cases since 1990, according to Kids and Car Safety Director Amber Rollins.

Kids and Car Safety is dedicated to saving the lives of children and pets in and around motor vehicles. The nonprofit’s data shows almost 90% of children who die are age three or younger.

Rollins said in over half of the hot car deaths, the person responsible for the child unknowingly left them in the vehicle.

“About 55% happen to loving, caring parents who inadvertently left their children in their car,” Rollins told the Palo Pinto Press. “These cases are extremely predictable and preventable.”

Kids and Car Safety reports:

• Houston, Dallas and Austin have the highest rates of hot-car-related deaths in the state
• Children below the age of two are at the highest risk of dying in a hot motor vehicle
• 81% of deaths in cars happen when the outdoor temperature is over 90°

Hot cars can lead to pediatric vehicular heatstroke. Health experts warn a child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s.

When a child remains in a vehicle without ample ventilation, that child’s body temperature can rise quickly, turning into a dangerous situation. Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 104 F.

Rollins said it’s essential for parents and caregivers to always check the back seat before locking the car doors. Since younger children sit rear-facing in safety seats, sometimes their presence is obscured.

Parents and guardians who are rushing around, have a change in their routines, or miscommunicate may not realize a child is in the car seat, Rollins added.  

“It can happen to anyone,” she said.

Here are some tips to prevent hot car injuries or deaths:

• Leave your purse, wallet or another item in the back seat so you are forced to go in the back to retrieve it. This is an added security measure to check the back seat and ensure the car seat is empty.
• Never leave a child in a vehicle unattended for any length of time, even if you only intend to run into a store for a few minutes. Rolling down the windows or parking the car in the shade does little to adjust the interior temperature of the vehicle.
• Cars get hot quickly. In ten minutes, a vehicle can heat up 20 degrees.
• Write a note or place a stuffed animal in the passenger’s seat to remind you that a child is in the back seat.
• Keep the car locked and keys out of reach. Sometimes kids hide or play in cars and become trapped. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states 25% of pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths occur after children gain access to unattended vehicles.
• Be an observant bystander at all times. If you see a child alone in a vehicle, make sure the child is alright and responsive, then attempt to locate the parents. If the child seems in distress, attempt to break the window of the car and call 911 immediately.

Instances of pediatric vehicular heatstroke and similar accidents are not exclusive to summertime. According to Consumer Reports, a car can become hot quickly even if the temperature outdoors seems relatively mild.

For more information, visit kidsandcars.org.