More and more children dying in hot cars

It’s surprising how fast a car can get hot.

Today, when it was cool in the morning, I took a nap in my car. I was waiting to pickup my daughter and her family from the airport. In a half-hour, the car became uncomfortably warm. I was surprised when I opened the windows that it was much cooler outside. Cars get about 20 degrees hotter than the outside air temperature in an hour.

Deaths of children from hyperthermia or heat stroke are rising. Since the beginning of the year, two dozen children in the United States have died after being left or getting stuck in hot cars, reports the WalletPop article "Safety Alert: Child Deaths From Heat Stroke on the Rise."

Since 1998, 469 deaths of kids in hot cars have been recorded, says meteorologist Jan Null. That’s about 37 a year.

Earlier this year, I read two heartbreaking stories about a parent and a friend who were busy and stressed and left a child in a hot car. Both died.

See Kids and Cars.org for these and other stories about children dying in hot cars.

One of the tips I read when reviewing these articles was that parents and caregivers should always put the child’s diaper bag or backpack or another item belonging to the child in the front seat so they’ll be reminded the child is in its safety seat in the backseat.

Nell also suggests something I hadn’t thought of. Always lock your car in the driveway so your children or neighborhood kids can’t get in. Cars lock automatically these days, so once children are inside, they’re trapped.

Other tips from Nell:

• Never leave a child alone in a car.

• Call 911 if you see a child alone in a car.

• Make sure everyone leaves the car when it is being unloaded.

• If a child is missing, check the car and the trunk first.

• Teach children to not play inside of cars.

Be sure to think about these tragedies when it’s hot and don’t make the mistaking of leaving your child in a hot car.

For other safety tips, see "Top 10 Summer Safety Tips."