Hot Weather and Vehicles Can be a Deadly Combination for Kids

As temperatures begin to heat up, children are at a serious risk for heat stroke, also called hyperthermia, when left alone even for a few minutes in a closed vehicle. In 2008, at least 42 children across the United States died from heat stroke caused by being left or trapped in a vehicle. Safe Kids Mid-South wants to share these tips with you:

The Facts about Heat Stroke and Kids

• 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, which 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.

What Happens in a Hot Vehicle?

• Even with relatively cool temperatures outside—70 degrees—the inside of a car can reach a dangerous temperature in just minutes.
• The temperature 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.

How to Keep Kids Safer

• 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.