Safe Kids USA Launches Heat-Stroke Prevention Campaign
In 2010, a record 49 children between two months and six years of age died from heatstroke after being left unattended in a vehicle. This year, the first such tragedy occurred in the very first week of March, in Texas, when a parent accidentally left her child in a car during a long day at work.
It’s a trend that demands expanded prevention efforts, and
Safe Kids USA is stepping up to the plate with an awareness campaign called the “Never Leave Your Child Alone in a Car” program, which is being sponsored by long-time Safe Kids partner the
General Motors Foundation.
Leveraging its national network of 600 coalitions and chapters, Safe Kids USA is working with local police and fire departments, hospitals, child-care centers, government agencies, businesses and other groups to ensure parents and other caregivers understand the lethal danger of leaving children alone in vehicles. Among the resources being used are billboards, print ads, web banners and radio announcements, in English and Spanish.
“These tragedies can happen anywhere at any time as child deaths in cars and trucks from heat stroke have occurred as early as February and when the outside temperature was as low as 57 degrees F,” said John Formisano, president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. “Our coalition network across the United States will help alert the 250 million vehicle owners to the dangers because everyone needs to understand this critical issue and how to ensure the safety of children.”
Key information all drivers need to know includes:
- Always locks all vehicles—A simple step like locking your vehicle when it’s unattended can help assure that kids can’t enter it and become trapped. Remember: 30 percent of recorded heat-stroke deaths in this country occur when a child gets into an unattended vehicle.
- Create a reminder system—It may seem surprising, but many child heat-stroke deaths happen when a distracted driver leaves the car and forgets his/her child. Help reduce the chance of this occurring by creating reminders for yourself, like placing your cell phone, briefcase, gymbag—something you’ll need at your next stop—on the floor in front of your child. That way, you’ll see your child the next time you get out of the car.
- You can also set an alarm on your phone, or a daily prompt on your electronic calendar. Another good tactic if you use daycare is to set up a plan in which you’re called if your child doesn’t arrive after at a certain time—just don’t forget to update your daycare partner if you change your daily routine.
- Call 911 immediately if you see an unattended child in a car—EMS professionals will be able to determine if a child is in trouble, which can happen fast. Children’s body temperatures rise three to five times faster than an adult’s, leaving them much more vulnerable to heat stroke. And if a child is missing, check nearby vehicles—including their trunks—first!
Safe Kids USA is part of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability to children ages 1 to 14.
For more information about preventing child heat-stroke deaths, please visit www.ggweather.com/heat and www.safekids.org/nlyca.
