You’ve seen it on the news. Every year as temperatures across the country rise, quiet children are forgotten in hot cars. The result is serious injury or death and families that are changed forever.
Vehicular heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash-related fatalities for children 14 and younger. Heatstroke has claimed the lives of 606 children from 1998 – 2013. Forty-four children died in 2013 alone. In 2014, there have already been eighteen deaths. With hyperthermia deaths occurring 11 months out of the year, that number will almost certainly rise. The good news is that these deaths are preventable.
What’s the number one cause of child vehicular heatstroke? Forgotten child care drop-off. The truth is that the majority of children who fall victim to heatstroke have the most loving and responsible of parents.
Everyone has days where their thinking is distracted. If you’ve ever jumped in the car and reached your destination in what seems like record time, it’s probably because part of your brain set itself on “auto-pilot.” This is an instinctive reaction, a function of the primitive side of the brain, and can happen for any number of reasons.
If you’re lucky, you’ve already made an absence verification plan with your provider and she calls you the moment your child fails to show up for care. This simple phone call could save your child's life. I urge you to take the time to set up a plan right now. And follow these steps to prevent vehicular heatstroke from happening to another child:
Don’t let another child fall victim to heatstroke. Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle and always check the backseat.