03/31/2026
As temperatures begin to rise across Indiana, please remember to secure your vehicle.
Each year, children lose their lives to vehicular heatstroke after becoming trapped in hot cars. While we often emphasize the importance of never intentionally leaving a child in a vehicle—and using strategies to prevent forgetting a child is inside—there’s another critical risk to keep in mind.
A portion of these tragedies occur when children gain access to a vehicle without a caregiver’s knowledge. In some cases, the vehicle doesn’t even belong to the child’s family.
Everyone has a role to play in prevention. Whether you have children or not, always lock your vehicle, secure your keys, and help prevent access to unattended cars.
Together, we can help keep children safe.
Keep your car locked when it is parked to prevent a curious child from entering when no one is around. Many hot car deaths have occurred when a child mistakenly locks himself inside. Make sure children do not have easy access to your car keys. Store them out of a child's reach. Teach children that cars are not safe places to play.
Learn/share: https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/child-safety
National Safety Council NHTSA National CPS Certification Safe Kids Worldwide
