Heatstroke Danger for Children Left in Cars
HEATSTROKE: 30 children died last year in the US from heatstroke in a hot car, zero so far this year. Lets keep it that way.
Safe Kids Worldwide, the National Safety Council, the National Child Passenger Safety Board, and the Kingsport Fire Department asks you to share these tips with everyone you know.
Babies and young kids can sometimes sleep so peacefully that we forget they are even there. It can also be tempting to leave a baby alone in a car while we quickly run into the store. The problem is that leaving a child alone in a car can lead to serious injury or death from heatstroke. Young children are particularly at risk, as their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adults. These tragedies are completely preventable. Heres how we can all work together to keep kids safe from heatstroke.
Hard Facts
Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children. On average, every 8 days a child dies from heatstroke in a vehicle.
Top Tips
Reduce the number of deaths from heatstroke by remembering to‚ ACT.
A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving your child alone in a car, not even for a minute. And make sure to keep your car locked when youre not in it so kids dont get in on their own.
C: Create reminders by putting something in the back of your car next to your child such as a briefcase, a purse or a cell phone that is needed at your final destination. This is especially important if youre not following your normal routine.
T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. Emergency personnel want you to call. They are trained to respond to these situations. One call could save a life.
Source www.safekids.org/heatstroke
Heatstroke is A life-threatening condition. The victims temperature control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops working. The body temperature can rise so high that brain damage and death may result if the body is not cooled quickly. ‚¬FEMA.gov
Learn More
Learn more about‚ heatstroke and other areas of safety in and around cars, including‚ car seat safety,‚ booster seat safety and‚ seat belt safety;‚ driveway safety; how to avoid‚ getting trapped in the trunk; and how to‚ prepare teens and preteens for driving before they get behind the wheel.