TOPEKA, Kan. – The Texas Family Initiative and TFI Family Connections in Kansas remind residents how dangerous it is to leave children unattended in hot cars.
The TFI says heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children in the U.S.
“A car can heat up 19 degrees in 10 minutes. And cracking a window doesn’t help,” TFI Senior Vice President Rachelle Roosevelt said. “Heatstroke can happen anytime, anywhere. We don’t want to see this happen to any family. That’s why TFI is asking everyone to help protect kids from this very preventable tragedy by never leaving a child alone in a car, not even for a minute.”
According to TFI analytics, the following amount of deaths could have been prevented in previous years:
- 2018: 54
- 2019: 53
- 2020: 25
- 2021: 21
TFI believes an informed public has helped decrease the number of heatstroke deaths in children drastically since they began their campaign.
Bystander
According to TFI Family Connections, bystanders play a huge role in preventing deaths. Residents are encouraged to ACT responsibly to keep children safe.
A: Avoid heat stroke-related injury and death by never leaving a child alone in a car, not even for a minute. And make sure to keep your car locked when you’re not inside so kids don’t get in on their own.
C: Create reminders. Keep a stuffed animal or another memento in your child’s car seat when it’s empty and move it to the front seat as a visual reminder when your child is in the back seat. Or place and secure your phone, briefcase, or purse in the back seat when traveling with your child.
T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. Emergency personnel wants you to call. They are trained to respond to these situations. One call could save a life.
For more information on the dangers of heatstroke in children and how you can help prevent these unnecessary and untimely deaths, check out the following resources:
- https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/heatstroke
- https://www.kidsandcars.org/how-kids-get-hurt/heat-stroke/
- https://www.safekids.org/
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