As temperatures heat up in the Inland Empire, On the Road would like to share an important safety reminder about children and hot cars.
The information comes from Kids and Car Safety, a nationwide public education organization seeking to reduce deaths of children left in hot cars. We’ve written about this issue before, but hot car deaths are still happening, so this is a message that needs repeating.
At least 1,184 children have died in hot cars in the United States since 1990 and at least another 7,500 survived with injuries, Kids and Car Safety reports. The most recent hot car death in California was the loss of a 4-year-old girl left in a hot vehicle May 19 in Los Angeles.
About 86% of children who die in hot cars are age 3 or younger, and most were unknowingly left behind by a parent or caregiver, according to Kids and Car Safety.
Here are some tips to increase safety:
- Keep vehicles locked at all times.
- Never leave the car keys where kids can get them.
- Childproof your home so curious toddlers can’t sneak outside.
- Teach your kids never to get into a vehicle without an adult and that a vehicle is not a place to play.
- If a child is missing, immediately check the inside and trunk of vehicles.
- Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even if the windows are partially open or the engine is running and the air conditioning is on.
- Ask your childcare provider to call immediately if your child doesn’t show up for daycare as expected.
- Make it a habit to place a personal item like a purse or briefcase in the back seat to remind yourself to check the car for your child before locking the vehicle and walking away.
If you see a child alone in a vehicle, call 911. Get the child out as fast as possible and, if the child is overheated, try to cool them off with a spray of cool water or get medical attention.
Original Article LINK
