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Home > Media Center > Seasonal Safety
As temperatures begin to heat up, children are at a serious risk for heat stroke, also called hyperthermia, when left alone even for a few minutes in a closed vehicle.In 2008, at least 42 children across the United States died from heat stroke caused by being left or trapped in a vehicle.
The Facts about Heat Stroke and Kids
- Heat is much more dangerous to children than it is to adults.
- When left in a hot vehicle, a young child’s core body temperature may increase three to five times faster than that of an adult, which could cause permanent injury or even death.
- Heat stroke occurs when the core body temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit. A core body temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit is considered lethal.
What Happens in a Hot Vehicle?
- According to research conducted by San Francisco State University, even with relatively cool temperatures outside—70 degrees—the inside of a car can reach a dangerous temperature in just minutes.
- The temperature inside of a vehicle can rise 19 degrees above the outside temperature in just 10 minutes.
- After an hour, the temperature inside and outside of a vehicle can differ by 45 degrees or more – even if the window is left open a crack.
How to Keep Kids Safer
Safe Kids USA and program partner General Motors created the Never Leave Your Child Alone program in 2001 to educate families on the dangers kids face in hot vehicles. Take these steps to keep kids safer in and around cars:
- Teach children not to play in, on or around vehicles.
- Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even with the window slightly open.
- Always lock a vehicle’s doors and trunk – especially at home. Keep keys and remote entry devices out of children’s reach.
- Place something that you’ll need at your next stop – such as a purse, a lunch, gym bag or briefcase – on the floor of the backseat where the child is sitting. This simple act could help prevent you from accidentally forgetting a child.
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