So far this year, two children in Mississippi have passed away from heat strokes after being left alone in vehicles.
Ryan Wilson, operations manager for American Medical Response in central Mississippi, explained the increased dangers of leaving a child alone inside a car during the warmer months and offered tips on how to prevent any more of these deaths from happening.
“Small children absorb heat three to five times faster than adults. That’s because children have rounder bodies with more skin surface for their size, compared to grown-ups. In just minutes, a child’s body can reach temperatures that can cause heat stroke, which can lead to permanent organ damage or death,” Wilson said.
According to Wilson, who is a paramedic by trade, research shows even when outside temperatures are in the 70s, vehicle interiors can get hot enough to cripple a child.
“The temperature inside a vehicle can climb 20 degrees in 10 minutes,” he continued. “The bottom line is: Never leave a child unattended in a car or truck, no matter what the outside temperature is, not even for a minute.”
To combat further heat-related deaths in children, Wilson advised the following:
- Leaving a window open or the air conditioner on does not protect children left inside a car. Take the child with you every time, no matter how soon you plan to return to the vehicle.
- Get in the habit of checking your vehicle’s interior, front and back, before walking away. Child passenger safety experts use the expression, “Look before you leave.”
- To avoid overlooking a small child restrained in a car safety seat, use these tips:
- Tie one of your child’s small toys or a pacifier to a string and hang it around your neck. When you leave the vehicle, even if you forget the toy is hanging from your neck, someone else is likely to mention it.
- Put in the back seat or on the floorboard an item you must take with you when you leave the vehicle, such as a cell phone, purse, or briefcase. Another idea is to put your left shoe next to the child.
- Place an unmistakable reminder of your child’s presence where you’ll be sure to see it before you leave the vehicle. For example, place a good-sized brightly colored stuffed toy in plain sight on the passenger seat next to the driver. Clear off all other items on the seat so you are more likely to notice the reminder when you exit the vehicle.
- Some newer vehicles have a built-in electronic device to alert you about a small child in a safety seat when you exit. Do not rely on that device solely. For older vehicles, some devices can be added that warn the driver there is a child in the rear. Dozens of different devices with a wide range of costs can be found online. AMR says it is wise to use more than one of their tips, to give the child an extra measure of safety.
- When adults change their routines for childcare, the risk of leaving a child in a vehicle increases. For example, in many households with children in daycare, the same parent takes the child to daycare almost every day. When the other parent takes the child to daycare, the parents should agree to call each other right after the time the child should have been left at daycare. Anytime the routine for transporting a child changes, the adults involved should immediately set reminders and alarms on their cell phones.
Nearly 30 percent of children who die in hot cars across the U.S. got into the vehicle by themselves. Wilson said car trunks are especially hazardous for children who can get out of booster seats or safety belts on their own. To prevent a child from climbing into a vehicle on his or her own or getting trapped in a scorching trunk, Wilson advised:
- Keep the doors and trunk of your car always locked, especially when the vehicle is parked in the driveway or near your home. Put the keys out of children’s reach.
- Some cars have fold-down rear seats that, when lowered, allow access to the trunk. Keep those seats closed to stop kids from accessing the trunk from the passenger area.
- Most vehicles have a safety latch inside the trunk. Teach older children where that latch is and how to use it.
- Teach children not to play in, on, or around cars.
- Watch children closely around cars, particularly when loading or unloading items. Children can slip into a vehicle unnoticed.
- When children are old enough to get in and out of a vehicle on their own, make them exit the vehicle with you at each stop.
- Be wary of child-resistant locks. Teach older children how to unlock the door if they become trapped in a motor vehicle.
