The long, hot days of summer are here and won’t be going away anytime soon. With temperatures this high, now is a good time to be reminded of what we can do to protect our kids from heat-related dangers, especially vehicular heatstroke. While it’s easy to think it will never happen to us, incidents like these are sadly not uncommon. We recently spoke with Ashley Bridgmon, Grant and Research Coordinator for the Health Education and Safety Center at Children’s of Alabama, to learn more about how to prevent vehicular heatstroke.
Vehicular heatstroke is not uncommon, and it’s even more likely to happen during hot summer months. Ms. Bridgmon shared that there have been 17 deaths due to vehicular heat stroke in the U.S. this year, and 12 of them happened just the month of July. What factors lead to these kinds of incidents?
How Vehicular Heatstroke Happens
First, vehicles can get very hot, very fast. I know my car feels really hot when I first get in these days. I was stunned to learn that a vehicle can reach up to 50 degrees hotter or more than the outside temperature. Not only can a vehicle get incredibly hot, but it happens in very little time. In fact, the biggest rise in temperature happens in the first 30 minutes.
On top of this, a child’s body heats three to five times faster than an adult’s. Kids aren’t safe in a parked vehicle even for a short amount of time because it doesn’t take long for temperatures to get dangerously high and for them to get overheated.
Prevention is Key
While these facts are sobering, the positive news is that we can prevent vehicular heatstroke from happening. Parents and caregivers can do several things to keep kids safe:
1. Create Reminders
Vehicular heat stroke most often happens when a child gets left in a vehicle. One of the best things you can do is create reminders to help you remember they are there. A good way to do this is by putting something in the front seat to remind you they are in the car. This can be the child’s diaper bag or a stuffed animal that you keep in their car seat and move up front every time they ride in the car.
Another alternative to this would be putting your own item (purse, backpack, cell phone, etc.) in the back seat so that you have to get it out of the back when you arrive at your destination.
Alternatively, you can lean on another adult to help you remember. Have someone check in with you at the times you normally drop off your child.
2. Utilize Technology
Technology offers numerous ways to help you remember to check your back seat. If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, consider getting one that prompts you to check the back seat when you turn off the vehicle or one with motion detectors. Alternatively, consider adding a car safety device with an app to remind you that a child is in the car. It also provides car temperature information and alerts you if you do happen to walk away from the vehicle without the child.
Some navigation apps, including Waze, offer a child reminder feature that will prompt you to check the back when you reach your destination.
3. Keep Children Out of the Vehicle
Sometimes incidents happen when a child gets in a vehicle without an adult knowing. Always keep your vehicle locked and store the keys out of reach. Teach kids that vehicles are not a place to play and that it’s not okay to get in the car without you. Finally, teach them to honk the horn if they ever find themselves stuck in a vehicle. Teaching our kids about vehicular safety is another effective way to prevent an incident from happening.
We are grateful to Children’s of Alabama for educating us on this important topic and for all they do to keep kids healthy and safe. To learn more about hot car safety and how to prevent vehicular heatstroke, visit the Children’s of Alabama website.
