Hot Cars, Hyperthermia-Summer Safety Tips for Kids

(Guest written by our friend Donovan Stokes)

It's a shame that every year 30-40 kids die from heat stroke when they are left in a vehicle while the driver runs in somewhere on a short errand or when the driver just plain forgets they're there.. Temperatures even on 70 degree days quickly become life threatening as the rays from the sun come in and get trapped. It's the greenhouse effect. Over fifty percent of children who die from hyperthermia after being left in a vehicle are less than 3 years old and have been forgotten by caregivers. About thirty percent are children who get in vehicles to play.

There is no excuse for leaving children alone in any vehicle to run errands! Parents should know better. There are summer safety tips for kids that should be followed to make sure the child isn't forgotten in the back seat. Putting a briefcase or pocketbook in the back seat so you'll have to get back there will be a reminder that there is an infant or toddler there. Maybe one day car manufacturers will develop a special safety alarm to alert drivers when a child is left in a car seat.

Another way kids die in hot cars is when people leave the vehicle unlocked and the child climbs in to play. Car doors should be kept locked and keys out of children's reach. You should also look into getting an adt securityalarm system for when you child is home alone.