LIMA – The warmer temperatures are finally upon us and it’s starting to feel more and more like summer each day. Staff at Allen County Children Services (ACCS) reminds parents and caregivers of young children to check their vehicles before walking away.

Each year, an average of 39 children die in the United States from a heat-related injury after being trapped in a vehicle but the highest numbers have been in recent years. A record of 53 deaths occurred in 2018 and there were 52 deaths in 2019. The number, thankfully, decreased in 2020 to 24 but still, one is too many. All deaths are preventable and occur accidentally when a busy parent or caregiver is distracted or forgets the child in a vehicle.

Just this past week, we saw temperatures approach 90 degrees already. That is more than warm enough to quickly heat up a vehicle to an unsafe temperature. It only takes minutes to raise the temperature in a car to a dangerous level. Heat stroke can occur to a child left in a car when the outside temperature is as low as 57 degrees.

Never leave a child alone in a vehicle no matter the circumstances. Always check the back seat. It’s so easy to become distracted or forget but just one time can lead to serious injury or death. Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash vehicle related deaths for children under the age of 14.

Tips:

• Form a routine of checking the backseat before you lock the car or place a reminder, such as a cell phone, with your child. Newer cars let the driver know when the turn off the motor.
• Reminder calls set up with a child’s day care center can provide an extra layer of security if a child does not show up as scheduled.
• Never leave a child alone in a car. Its unsafe and one minute easily can turn into 10 or more. Cracking a window or parking in the shade is not a safe alternative.
• Lock your vehicle and keep keys out of a child’s reach. Nearly 30 percent of heat stroke deaths occur when a child entered a car and became trapped without a parent or caregiver knowing.
• Call 911 if you come across a child left alone in a car. If the child clearly is in distress and imminent danger, Ohio law allows a person to intervene to save the child’s life.