Too many kids have passed away from heatstroke in hot automobiles during the past 20 years. What you can do to keep your children and pets safe is listed below. It all begins with checking before you lock your car and drive away.
Unattended car rides with kids or animals can be risky or even fatal. Children are unfortunately left in cars, sometimes on deliberately, despite the innumerable warnings and campaigns from professionals. A few seconds spent alone in a car might quickly become lethal. The following information will help you keep your child or pet safe in the worst-case scenario.
Stats and Information Regarding Child Deaths from Hot Cars
The American National Safety Council reports an increase in the number of children dying after being left in hot cars.
In actuality, 2018 was the bloodiest year in the previous 20 years. Here are some other numbers to think about.
- 53.8% of children are forgotten.
- 26.3% of children get access to the car without the adult knowing.
- 18.6% knowingly left a child in the car. .pjg from WP right
- 24% of deaths occur in company parking lots when adults were at work.
- Since 1998, more than 200 children have died from vehicular heatstrokes.
Unfortunately, children under the age of two account for around 75% of hot car deaths in youngsters, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA). And in over half of cases, parents forget to drop off their children to daycare.
How to Prevent Child Hot Car Child Deaths
If you use these straightforward advice every time you step out of the car, child hot car tragedies are completely avoidable.
- Never, ever, ever leave a child in a car by themselves.
- Check before you go. To make sure you have a cause to reach back before you drive away, place your purse, wallet, or other valuables in the backseat.
- Being in someone else’s or another person’s car can change your usual pre-departure practice of looking, so exercise extra caution in those situations.
- To prevent kids from getting back into the car without you noticing, make sure your automobiles are locked.
- To stop kids from opening the car and getting back in, keep the keys out of their reach.
What to Do if You See a Child Alone in a Car
Do not ignore a child you observe riding alone in a car. A life can be saved by immediately taking these basic actions.
Stay with the youngster if they seem to be doing okay. For help locating the parents over the intercom with a description of the car, call inside the store or have someone get a store manager.
Call 000 right away if the youngster is unresponsive or in any pain. Use any means required to try to get the child out of the car. Try applying cool water to the child’s skin to help them chill off.
Hot Car Safety Also Goes for Pets
Pets left in a hot car alone are also at risk. In fact, according to PETA, keeping them in a hot car unattended can cause heatstroke-related brain damage in less than 15 minutes. Despite the fact that it may be colder outside, the temperature inside a car can rise quickly.
The Humane Society advises acting in a manner similar to how you would if you saw a youngster in an automobile. Call your local animal control office or the police non-emergency number if your pet is not responding or is in agony for immediate assistance. Until the owner or assistance arrives, do not leave the automobile.
Consider leaving your pet at home while you run errands rather than leaving them unattended. The same advice for leaving youngsters applies if you want to bring them along for pet-friendly activities: check the rear seat before locking and exiting your car. As a reminder, place a leash or your purse in the back seat.
Is it ever okay to leave children or pets in a car?
No never!
For their health and safety, it is just too unsafe to leave pets or children alone in a moving vehicle. Establish a procedure that requires you to check the backseat before you leave, and always remember to look before you go. Temperatures can increase quickly, and it’s not always obvious whether they’re safe to go. Never ever leave a child or animal alone in a moving vehicle.