Posts Tagged ‘car safety’

You may have read our last post and thought: “I would never leave my baby in the hot car”; “I know not to do that”; “only irresponsible people leave their baby in the car.” I know you would never purposely leave your child in a hot car, risking the chance of death. Unfortunately, many children have died by accidentally being left in the car.

Since 1998, there have been 463 child deaths involving heat exhaustion inside cars and trucks. Some of these deaths have involved children climbing into a car and becoming locked inside unbeknownst to their parents or guardian.

Are you wondering how this information applies to you? These deaths don’t just happen to neglectful parents. They happen to good, caring parents who are over-tired, over-worked, too stressed, out of routine, etc.

 Here are a few suggestions to help you keep your baby safe:

1. Check the back seat every time they exit the vehicle
2. Leave your cell phone or purse on the floor near your baby’s car seat. That way when you retrieve it, you’re reminded to retrieve them too.
3. Set your cell phone or Blackberry reminder to be sure you dropped your child off at day care.
4. Place a stuffed animal in your baby’s car seat when they are not in it. When they are in it, place the stuffed animal in the front passenger seat as a reminder for you.
5. Have a plan that if your child is late for daycare that you will be called within a few minutes. Be especially careful if you change your routine for dropping off little kids at day care.
6. Teach children not to play in any vehicle.
7. Lock all vehicle doors and trunk after everyone has exited the vehicle – especially at home. Keep keys out of children’s reach. Cars are not playgrounds or babysitters

Dial 911 immediately if you see an unattended child in a car.

Are there any tricks you use to make sure you never forget your baby?

Sources: CBS News; Safe Kids USA

As the temperature continues to rise outside, we want to remind you to practice car safety with your baby. Never leave an infant or young child alone in or around a car, not even for a minute.

What are the dangers of leaving your child alone?

Leaving your child alone in the car, even with the windows down, can put him or her at risk for heatstroke (hyperthermia).

• Heatstroke can occur when the internal body organs or body temperature reaches          104°F.
• Heatstroke can cause irreversible brain damage and even death!

Babies and young children:

• their core body temperature increases 3-5 times faster than an adult.
• are particularly vulnerable because they have difficulty escaping on their own
• their respiratory and circulatory systems can’t handle heat as well as adults

Within minutes, the temperature in a car rises about 19°. It rises 34° in a half hour and 43° in an hour. This means that on an average summer day of 75°, the temperature in the car would be 94° within minutes, 109° after 30 minutes and 118° after an hour!  So, just imagine how hot your car is during this heat wave. 

Check out our next post on car safety tips.

Sources: CBS News; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Office of Children and Family Services