05/04/2023
As the weather starts to warm up here in Alabama, I'll be covering some important key points to keep your children safe.
No one thinks they could forget a child in their vehicle, but that’s exactly how many of these tragedies happen: a parent or caregiver accidentally leaves a child in a hot car. In approximately half of “forgotten” child deaths, the child was being taken to childcare/preschool. Whether the child was sleeping, and the parent or caregiver forgot that the child was in the car, or the parent was distracted or off their normal routine — these tragic moments of forgetfulness can and do happen.
The best way to avoid this deadly mistake is to get in the habit of checking the back seat every time you leave your vehicle. Look before you lock. You could save a life!
In 2021, 23 children died due to pediatric vehicular heatstroke.
Their ages ranged from 5 months to 11 years old, but more than half were under the age of 2.
From 1998 to the present, a total of 906 children have died due to pediatric vehicular heatstroke. Of the 906 children who died:
52.7% were forgotten by a caregiver;
25.8% gained access on their own;
20.1% were knowingly left by a caregiver; and
1.4% died under unknown circumstances.
