Don’t leave kids and pets in cars unattended

Palmdale, Calif.-The number of child hot car deaths for 2022 was 33. So far in 2023, eight deaths have been reported. On average, 38 children under the age of 15 die each year from heatstroke after being left in a vehicle.

Nearly every state has experienced at least one death since 1998. In both 2018 and 2019 a record number of 53 children died after being left in a hot vehicle

Since 1998, more than 900 children have died in hot cars and more than half of them were left behind unknowingly by their caregiver, according to NoHeatStroke.org (https://www.noheatstroke.org/)

Parents and others must remain vigilant about the ongoing danger of children and pets dying in hot cars

According to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) (https://www.uams.edu/), the temperature can be as low as 50 degrees and still heat a car to unsafe levels with sun exposure.

Temperatures in a car can reach above the level outside of the vehicle--heating up as quickly as 15 degrees every few minutes.

Safety Tips for Parents and Caregivers

Kids and Car Safety believes the solution to these preventable tragedies is a combination of detection and alert technology in all vehicles and education. This technology is readily available and affordable and should be included in all vehicles.

Create simple habits to help keep your child safe. Make sure your child is never left alone in a car:

Place the child’s diaper bag or item in the front passenger seat as a visual cue that the child is with you.

Make it a habit of opening the back door every time you park to ensure no one is left behind. To enforce this habit, place

an item that you can’t start your day without in the back seat (employee badge, laptop, phone, handbag, etc.)

Ask your childcare provider to call you right away if your child hasn’t arrived as scheduled.

Clearly announce and confirm who is getting each child out of the vehicle. Miscommunication can lead to thinking someone else removed the child.

Make sure children cannot get into a parked car:

Keep vehicles locked at all times, especially in the garage or driveway. Ask neighbors and visitors to do the same.

Never leave car keys within reach of children.

Use childproofing knob covers and door alarms to prevent children from exiting your home unnoticed.

Teach children to honk the horn or turn on hazard lights if they become stuck inside a car.

If a child is missing, immediately check the inside, floorboards and trunk of all vehicles in the area carefully, even if they’re locked.

If you see a child alone in a vehicle, get involved. Call 911 immediately. If the child seems hot or sick, get them out of the vehicle as quickly as possible.

Be especially careful during busy times, schedule changes and periods of crisis or holidays. This is when many tragedies occur.

Never leave pets in cars unattended California penal code 597.7 says endangering conditions include heat, cold, lack of ventilation, lack of food or water or “other circumstances that could reasonably be expected to cause suffering, disability, or death to the animal.”