The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that heatstroke is one of the leading causes of non-crash-related fatalities among children. Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees and the thermoregulatory system is overwhelmed. A core body temperature of about 107 degrees is lethal. Even great parents and caregivers can forget a child in the back seat. In any case, it is important to understand children are more vulnerable to heatstroke than adults. It is never okay to leave a child alone in or around a car for any reason.
NHTSA Recommendations:
- Make it a habit of looking in the back seat before you lock the car
- Keep your car locked and your keys out of reach, because nearly 3 in 10 heatstroke deaths happen when an unattended child gains access to a vehicle
- Take-action if you notice a child alone in a car! Protecting children is everyone’s business
- Heatstroke can happen at any time of year and in any weather condition. Outside temperature in the mid-60s can cause the inside temperature of a car to rise above 110 degrees Fahrenheit through the “Greenhouse Effect.” The interior temperature can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes.