Summer is officially here, and with it has come the heat and humidity so familiar to East Tennesseans. Great for splash pads, swimming pools, and sprinklers…
But NOT so great for children in cars!
According to this fact sheet from the Department of Geosciences at San Francisco State University, an average of 38 children die from heatstroke in cars every year. More than half of all deaths over the past fourteen years have been children under the age of two. 52% of all child fatalities were children who were “forgotten” by a caregiver. While 18% were children who were intentionally left in cars.
Not only is it dangerous to leave a child in a car in the summertime, but in Tennessee, it is also illegal! You can refresh your knowledge of Tennessee’s laws here. But let’s be honest… when a child is left in a car in the heat of summer, it is rarely intentional!
If you’ve ever had this terrifying experience, you know what I’m talking about. No one MEANS to lock their keys… and purse and cell phone in the car. But sometimes it happens.
So as summer approaches, I wanted to share a few tips on how you can prevent, or at the very least quickly deal with, this sort of accident!
#1. Slow Down
I know there’s a lot going on. Ball practices, vacations, zoo visits, splash pads, shopping. And no one wants to be in the heat any longer than they have to, but please. Please! Slow down. Allow a few extra minutes to get places. It’s when we’re in a hurry – rushing kids, grabbing bags or purses, scurrying to get inside – that accidents happen. Slow down this summer and think about what you’re doing before shutting that car door. And please don’t let your babies play with your keys… EVER! Please.
#2. Hide a Set of Keys
I know, I know. There is a danger in this. And let’s face it, cars are made of plastic nowadays, not the sturdy metal that my family’s Ford F150 was made of in the 80s (you know… when you used a magnet in the gas cap cover). But if you can find a way to hide an extra door key or unlock button on the outside of your vehicle, it could make scares like this a non-issue. Many new cars today have special features that sometimes make it easier to get in without a key. But I’ve seen some of this new technology cause more locking problems than prevent. So know your vehicle’s quirks and be prepared!
#3. Have a Plan… and Then Have Another Plan
Have a plan for when you get out of your car. Whatever helps you… set your purse on top of the car, or put your keys in your pocket immediately. But what happens when you accidentally lock your child in the car in 90 degree heat? Oh… you know… You panic! And rightly so. But, if you can think ahead for situations such as these, it will minimize the time you waste panicking. Here’s a good place to start: Find a cell phone, and call 911. Immediately. Really. In 10 minutes, the temperature in your car can rise 19 degrees. In 30 minutes, it can rise 34 degrees. And in one hour or more it can rise 45-50 degrees.
#4. Call 911 First
I know there are great services out there like OnStar and AAA. But most of the time, these services will turn around and call 911 for you. You might as well skip the middle man! Most people will tell you that if they had called 911 it would have cut their wait (read: worry) time in half! When you call 911, someone is dispatched immediately. And let me tell you… these guys are good! They do this ALL summer. They are calm. They are not judgmental. They are fast. And they have medical training to also be able to check your child over. Don’t be embarrassed or ashamed to call 911!
#5. Break a Window… but Not Just Any Window!
This is a tip the fireman gave me last summer. He said if you MUST break a window – because let’s face it, there aren’t always people or phones around (think: camping, hiking) – break one of the little triangular windows. You’d think it would be common sense, but I never would have thought of this. When you break a rolling window (the rectangular ones) you will have to pay for the entire window and rolling mechanism to be replaced. Whereas the little triangular ones are cheaper and will just need to be popped in and re-sealed. If you MUST break a window, you might as well minimize the damage.
Please keep these tips in mind both for yourself and for any child you may see unattended in a parked car this summer. You could save a life!
We’d love to hear any tips or tricks you use to ensure your child’s car safety!
I admit that I am awful about rushing, and am a horribly forgetful person, and these two do NOT mix well! I was so thankful that when we bought a bigger car after #2, the one we ended up with had keyless entry. I thought it was a useless extra, but I am so grateful it is there for this reason! I’ve not had to use it for this reason yet, but I feel better knowing it’s there. I just hope I don’t get too used to it!
These are excellent tips! And you are right, first responders have all of the tools necessary to unlock a door in a matter of seconds and they take their job super serious. Always call 911 first!
For someone that has locked her keys in the car on MULTIPLE occasions I can agree, I didn’t plan for it to happen! Luckily I had the kids already out of the car (twice might I add) or was solo. It can happen to anyone!!
Also, watch out on very hot days for the actual car seats to get too hot, especially with young children. When my daughter was around 8 months old, I had cooled the car with the AC before putting her in her car seat and drove about 20 minutes. By the time we got to our destination, she was overheated and starting to act lethargic. I quickly got her out of the car and cooled down. So be aware that a car seat left in a car in the sun retains the heat and can still cause a little one to overheat.