IN Millcreek Spring 2019 | Page 21

Sometimes babies sleep so peacefully that busy parents can forget they are even there. Other times, we might
be tempted to leave kids in the car while we run into the store or dash off to do an errand. Children can also
end up alone in cars if the doors or trunk are left unlocked. However it happens, 37 kids die each year from
being unattended in a vehicle. That’s why children should never be alone in a car. It can lead to heatstroke,
which causes serious injury or even death. Young children are particularly at risk since their bodies heat up
three to five times faster than an adult’s.
Here’s how we can work together to keep this preventable tragedy from happening.
Reduce the Number of Deaths from
Heatstroke by Remembering to ACT
Teach Kids Not to Play in Cars
• Make sure to lock your vehicle (doors and the
trunk) when you’re away from it. Keep keys and
remote entry fobs out of children’s sight and
reach.
• A: Avoid heatstroke-
related injury and
death by never leaving
a child alone in a car,
not even for a minute.
And make sure to keep
your car locked when
you’re not inside so kids
don’t get in on their
own.
• Teach kids that trunks are for transporting cargo
and are not safe places to play.
• C: Create reminders. 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. Or
place and secure your phone, briefcase or purse in
the backseat when traveling with your child.
• T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car,
call 911. Emergency personnel want you to call.
They are trained to respond to these situations.
One call could save a life.
Heatstroke is the
leading cause of non-
crash, vehicle-related
deaths for children.
On average, every
10 days a child dies
from heatstroke in
a vehicle.
• If your child is missing, immediately check
swimming pools, vehicles and trunks. Get kids
who are locked in cars out as soon as possible.
If you can’t do so quickly, dial 911 right away.
Emergency personnel are trained to evaluate and
check for signs of heatstroke.
Go a Step Further: Create Extra Reminders
and Communicate with your Child Care
Provider
• If you regularly drop your child off at child care,
create a calendar reminder on your phone or
computer to make sure you’ve done so.
• Make arrangements for your child care provider
to call you right away if your child doesn’t show
up at the expected time. Be especially careful if
you change your routine for dropping off children
at child care. Heatstroke incidents often occur
when people’s routine is disrupted.
For more information visit safekids.org. © 2018 Safe Kids Worldwide ®
MILLCREEK
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SPRING 2019
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