Preventing Hot Car Child Deaths in Erie

The National Safety Council (NSC) has a free online course to help educate parents and caregivers about the dangers of hot cars and how to prevent hot car deaths. Approximately 38 children die each year in hot vehicles. During 2018, 52 children died of vehicular heatstroke, which is a record high for the past 20 years. Because one child’s death is one death too many, we join in the push to educate parents and caregivers about the dangers of hot cars as the summer begins to heat up in Northwestern Pennsylvania.

It Only Takes a Few Minutes for Temperatures to Become Life-Threatening in a Hot Car

Even on a mild day, the temperatures inside a hot car can quickly rise to a level that can be life-threatening for a child. Leaving the windows partially open or parking in the shade does not help. A child left in a vehicle can die in minutes. Therefore, children should never be left in a car for any reason, even for a “quick minute.”

According to the NSC, when the outside air temperature is 80 degrees, the temperature in a vehicle can reach 99 degrees in just 10 minutes. In 20 minutes, the temperature in the vehicle can reach 109 degrees. When the outside temperature is 85 degrees, the temperature in the vehicle can reach 104 degrees in 10 minutes. Don’t risk your child’s life by leaving him or her in a vehicle for any amount of time!

How Can You Avoid A Tragic Accident This Summer?

One of the worst mistakes you can make is believing that you would never forget your child in your car. Parents or caregivers forgot over one-half of the children who died in hot vehicles. A little of one-quarter of the deaths from hot vehicles are attributed to children who gained access to the vehicle without an adult’s knowledge.

You can take steps to avoid vehicular heatstroke this summer:

• Never leave your child in a car for any length of time.
• Always check your vehicle when you exit and immediately lock your vehicle to prevent access by children.
• Each time you exit your vehicle, make it a habit to open the rear doors to check for passengers.
• If you are traveling with a child, place an object in the back seat with the child that you must have when you exit the vehicle, such as your shoe, wallet, cell phone, or employee badge.
• Set the alarm on your cell phone for the time you are to drop your child off at daycare or school.
• Arrange to have your child’s caregiver call you if your child is not dropped off at the expected time each day.
• Consider using technology designed to remind adults when there is a child in the back seat.

Whatever you need to do this summer to ensure that all your passengers are out of the vehicle, do it. It is worth the extra few seconds to ensure all children exited the vehicle to avoid a tragic death.

Call an Erie Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Car Accident Claim

For a free consultation with an Erie car accident attorney, call (800) 401-2066 to speak with a representative from The Travis Law Firm.