John Townsend
Public Relations Manager, DC
O: (202) 481-6820 (ext. 4462108)
C: (202) 253-2171
jtownsend@aaamidatlantic.com
WASHINGTON, D. C. (Thursday, June 15, 2017) –– So far this year 12 children in the United States have died of a heatstroke after they were left in hot vehicles. To stop the deadly scourge of vehicular hyperthermia among the most vulnerable passengers, Members of Congress recently introduced a new bill, the HOT CARS Act of 2017, which would require automakers to equip their vehicles with an alert system designed to warn the driver if a child is left in the back seat.
In shocking news headlines, a mother was arrested last week after she allegedly left two toddlers to die in a hot car in Texas. Police officials said the teen mother intentionally left the girls, her 1-year-old and 2-year-old daughters, in the vehicle for more than 15 hours. Unintentionally or intentionally, as many as 40 children - one child every nine days - die in hot cars each year, on average. Children are more vulnerable to heatstroke than adults, and area parents and guardians are urged to “look before you lock.”
Similar legislation was introduced last year. Oddly enough, Congress failed to pass H.R. 6041, the Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seats Act or the HOT CARS Act of 2016. Like last year’s bill, The HOT CARS Act of 2017 would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue a “final rule requiring cars to be equipped with a system to alert the driver if a passenger remains in the back seat when a car is turned off.” Until then, create an electronic device reminder to make sure you dropped your child off at daycare, advises AAA Mid-Atlantic. As an object lesson, simply leave something needed for the day in the back seat with your baby – a briefcase, purse or your day’s shoe (s).
“Make it a routine to check the back seat for children, and then check it again, before leaving your vehicle,” said Joseph Beddick, the Safety Service Manager for the Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area. “About 51 percent of child hot car deaths in vehicles were caused by adults forgetting the children, and 29 percent of victims were playing in an unattended vehicle, as studies in some states have shown. Teach children that a car is not a play area. Always keep doors and windows locked to prevent kids from playing inside a vehicle.”
In the past two decades, 712 children left in vehicles have died of heatstroke, hyperthermia, or other complications. A momentary lapse can cause a senseless tragedy that unfolds in a matter of minutes. It only takes 10 minutes for a car’s temperature to rise over 20 degrees even if it isn’t an unseasonably warm day. “This means that on an 80 degree day the inside of the vehicle will reach 100 degrees in the time it takes to read a book or sing a few songs with the children,” child safety advocates explain. “Cracking a window has little effect.”
In fact, a heatstroke can happen on cloudy days and in outside temperatures below 70 degrees. Children overheat up to five times faster than adults, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). A child dies when his/her body temperature reaches 107 degrees Fahrenheit. It underscores the fact that for safety’s sake, children may never be left alone in a vehicle.
Tragically, a five-year-old boy perished this week after reportedly being left alone in a hot vehicle operated by a day care center in Arkansas. The child was reportedly left in the van for hours as the heat index reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit in West Memphis, Arkansas. However, child care staff members “are required to walk to the back of the vehicle to check each seat.”
Preschool, elementary or secondary schools, churches, childcare ministries, daycare centers, child care centers, and summer day camp programs transport children in vans, a “special purpose bus,” or a school bus. Agencies and individuals transporting children are urged to make sure that every child leaves the vehicle after arriving at the destination. They are also encouraged to “first, develop and practice a routine that is used every time they transport children. This system should be in writing, shared, and used by everyone who is involved in transporting the children, including the director, driver, and any other employees riding in the vehicle or assisting the children when exiting.” Other salient tips include:
-
Use the list of children to verify each child by name.
-
Walk and check the inside of the vehicle, both in and under each seat.
-
Have a second person check the vehicle.
-
Have a visual reminder such as a sticker, keychain, or hangtag that helps you do the walk-through.
If you are a parent of a small child, preschooler, toddler or a newborn, develop a daycare drop-off plan so that if your child is late, or isn’t at daycare, you’ll be called by the day center staff within a few minutes, advises AAA Mid-Atlantic. Some children have been left in office parking lots by distracted adults forgetting to drop them off at day care. “The children that have died from vehicular heatstroke in the United States (1998-October 2016) have ranged in age from 5 days to 14 years,” explains NoHeatStroke.org. “More than half of the deaths are children under 2 years of age.” Do not let kids play in an unattended vehicle. Area law enforcement agencies, safety advocates, including AAA Mid-Atlantic and the Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education, are encouraging parents and caregivers to:
-
NEVER leave a child in a vehicle unattended.
-
Make it a habit to look in the back seat EVERY time you exit the car.
-
ALWAYS lock the car and put the keys out of reach.
-
If someone else is driving your child, or your daily routine has been altered, always check to make sure your child has arrived safely.
-
Keep a stuffed animal or other memento in your child’s car seat when it’s empty, and move it to the front seat as a visual reminder when your child is in the back seat.
-
If you ever see a child left alone in a hot vehicle, call 911 right away.
-
If the child is not responsive or is in distress, immediately call 911, get the child out of the car, and spray the child with cool water (not in an ice bath).
“If you see a child alone in a car, don’t worry about getting involved in someone else’s business—protecting children is everyone’s business,” advises NHTSA. “Besides, ‘Good Samaritan’ laws offer legal protection for those who offer assistance in an emergency.”
Follow us on Twitter: @AAADCNews
Like us on Facebook: AAA Mid-Atlantic News
Washington, D.C. Mailing Address:
1405 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
AAA provides automotive, travel and insurance services to 57 million members nationwide and nearly 78,000 members in the District of Columbia. AAA advocates for the safety and mobility of its members and has been committed to outstanding road service for more than 100 years. The not-for-profit, fully tax-paying member organization works on behalf of motorists, who can now map a route, find local gas prices, discover discounts, book a hotel and track their roadside assistance service with the AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android. For more information, visit https://aaa.com
Ragina C. Ali
Public Relations Manager, MD
O: (410) 616-1900 (ext. 4361152)
C: (443) 465-5020
RAli@aaamidatlantic.com