NHTSA helps raise awareness of child heatstroke in cars
Although National Heatstroke Prevention Day may have passed (July 31), the danger of heatstroke is still present – especially for young children who are left unattended in cars. In the first six months of 2017, 26 children nationwide died of heatstroke after being left in a car – making heat the leading cause of non-crash related vehicle fatalities for kids 14 and younger in the U.S.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Safe Kids Worldwide is reminding parents that temperatures inside a vehicle can reach deadly levels in just 10 minutes, which is why it’s vitally important to never leave a child alone in a parked car. Parents should take care to keep the keys out of a child’s reach and look in both the front and back of the vehicle before locking the door and walking away.