Heatstroke in vehicles
As parents, grandparents, or caregivers, we’ve all been there- you need to make a quick stop at the store, and it would sure be a whole lot easier and faster to just leave the kids in the car. After all, what could it hurt? You’ll only be gone a few minutes. While leaving children unattended in a car is never a good idea for many reasons, as the weather heats up it’s especially dangerous, because a few minutes is all it takes for tragedy to strike.
Last year, at least 44 children died from heatstroke in vehicles across the country, three of which occurred in Michigan.
Many people probably don’t know that a child’s body heats up three to five times faster than an adult’s, making them more susceptible to heatstroke, or that it doesn’t have to be a heat wave for a child to get overheated. Even mild temperatures can be dangerous as the temperature inside a car can rise 20 degrees in as little as 10 minutes, and can easily be double the temperature outside.
To help prevent this tragedy from striking, remember 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 not using it so kids don’t 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. This is especially important if you’re not following your normal routine.
T: Take action. If you see or hear a child alone in a car, call 911. Emergency personnel are trained to respond to these situations. One call could save a life.
For more information and safety tips about preventing child heatstroke deaths, visit www.safekids.org/heatstroke.