By Jim Lippert
President, Skagit County Safe Kids
You’ve heard the statements: “It was an honest mistake.” “It was just for a few moments.” “I didn’t realize…”
A few minutes might not seem like a long time, but there are circumstances when it can mean the difference between life and death. As temperatures heat up in the summer, children are at a serious risk for heat stroke when left alone even for a few minutes in a closed vehicle. Already this year, we have heard of children being left alone in a hot vehicle. One dead or injured child is one too many.
Children are our most precious cargo and drivers must know that these deaths and injuries are entirely preventable. Heat is much more dangerous to children than it is to adults. When left in a hot vehicle, a young child’s core body temperature may increase three to five times faster than that of an adult. This could cause permanent injury or even death. Heat stroke occurs when the core body temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit. A core body temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit is considered lethal.
The inside of a vehicle can rise 19 degrees above the outside temperature in just 10 minutes. After an hour, the temperature inside and outside of a vehicle can differ by 45 degrees or more – even if the window is left open a crack. Even with relatively cool temperatures outside, or about 70 degrees, the inside of a car can reach a dangerous temperature in just minutes.
It’s not just hot cars that pose a danger. Kids getting backed over or run over in driveways are another big problem in our country.
We suggest these tips for parents and caregivers:
- Teach children not to play in, on or around vehicles.
- Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even with the window slightly open.
- Always lock a vehicle’s doors and trunk – especially at home. Keep keys and remote entry devices out of children’s reach.
- Place something that you’ll need at your next stop – such as a purse, a lunch, gym bag or briefcase – on the floor of the backseat where the child is sitting. This simple act could help prevent you from accidentally forgetting a child.
