Rising summer heat increases risk of child deaths in hot cars; experts offer safety tips to keep kids safe

Fort Lauderdale, Florida – The standard heat wave that has spread across the eastern coast of the United States during the first week of the summer makes children’s defenders a warning against parents and care about the risk of fire strike on children who were left inside hot vehicles.

So far this year, nine children died after leaving them without surveillance in vehicles in California, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, New Mexico, New Jersey and North Carolina, according to children’s safety and car safety, which collects data on the death of hot cars. Five died in June.

Last year, 39 children died in the United States after leaving hot cars.

Why are hot cars very dangerous for children?

Scientists say that the climate change caused by a person preserves temperatures and harsh weather. Cathy Wall, Director of Palm Beach, said the external temperature should not be very hot for a child left in a heat -affected vehicle.

“Inside, the car can height 20 degrees in only 20 minutes,” said Wall. “If you imagine that it is 80 degrees, and it is in southern Florida it is a cold day, it may exceed 100 degrees within 10 minutes inside the car.”

The death of hot cars can occur at any time of the year, and since 1998, each state has informed but Alaska about the death of hot cars, according to the National Safety Council. In both 2018 and 2019, a record number 53 children died after leaving them in hot cars.

About 80 % of the high temperature in vehicles occurs in the first thirty minutes of leaving the child inside, when maximum temperatures can exceed 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65 ° C), according to the data collected by Jan Null, an accredited consultant at San Jose State University.

Captain Karen Dirojatis of Palm Beach Province said that the fire rescue: “Children are lower less than that of adults and can increase their internal temperature from three to five times faster than an adult. For this reason, it is no less important than ensuring that your child was not left in the car, especially during the increasing temperatures.”

It can happen to anyone

Although it is easy to blame leave a child in a vehicle, even the people who were trained to know the risks that committed this tragic error.

“It is not an economic social group, it is not a cultural group,” she said. “This unfortunately happened to the doctors, it happened to dentists, and this happened to school teachers, this happened to childcare workers. No one is exempt from this.”

She said that distraction often leads to forgetting a child in the back seat, which is why it is important to create a routine and reminder.

“This looks crazy, but sometimes people get out of the routine or distract their attention, especially in today’s world. There is a lot that happens in the news, and many families,” she said.

She said that one of the parents who usually does not drop the child in a daytime care facility may distract him and forget that the child is in the car.

Create a reminder that the child is in the back seat

It encourages parents and care providers to create procedures.

“We have an abbreviation, action,” said Wall.

He stands to avoid leaving a child without observation in a car.

C symbolizes the creation of a reminder that suits you. The authorities suggest leaving a personal element like a wallet or bag in the back seat until they have to open the rear door before locking the car.

T is to take action immediately. “If you see a child in a car, do not try to know the time he spent in the car. Call the number 911 immediately,” said Wall.

Some of the latest cars offer drivers to check the rear seat of the passengers.

Derugatis, the fire leader, said the double verification of the vehicle is the key.

She said: “If you make it a common habit, just as you will look at the rear vision mirror to see if someone is behind you, or if you look at the side display mirror to see if you want to switch the corridors, which makes it customary to search in the rear vision mirror, whether you have a child, animal or anything, only to ensure that you are as safe as possible.”

The Associated Press Jackson video journalist Jackson contributed to this report.