"Do Not Leave Children in Cars for Long" ... Nine Deaths Already Reported in the U.S.

Six Children Died in June as Temperatures Approached 40 Degrees Celsius
Never Leave Children Alone in Cars During Heat Waves

In the United States, where a severe heat wave is ongoing, there has been a sharp increase in incidents of children dying after being left alone in cars.

According to the Associated Press on June 29 (local time), Kids and Car Safety, an organization that collects data on vehicle heatstroke deaths, reported that as of this year, nine children have died from heatstroke in cars in the United States. Of these, six died in June, when an early heat wave pushed daytime highs in the eastern U.S. close to 40 degrees Celsius.

Children cooling off from the heat. Unrelated to the article content. Pixabay.

Last year, 39 children across the United States died after being left in cars in this manner. In 2018 and 2019, the number of deaths was 53 each year.

U.S. child protection organizations have warned that, unlike adults, children can die of heatstroke very quickly when left in a car. These organizations emphasized that guardians need to be aware that a child can suffer heatstroke inside a vehicle even when the outdoor temperature is not particularly high.

Kathy Will, director of Safe Kids Palm Beach County in Florida, stated, "The temperature inside a car can rise by as much as 11 degrees Celsius in just 20 minutes," adding, "While 27 degrees Celsius may feel cool in southern Florida, the interior of a car can exceed 38 degrees in just 10 minutes."

For these reasons, child deaths due to high temperatures inside vehicles occur throughout the year in the U.S., and such fatalities have been reported in every state except Alaska.

According to data collected by Jan Null, a meteorologist at San Jose State University, 80% of the temperature increase inside a car happens within the first 30 minutes after a child is left inside, with maximum temperatures reaching up to 65 degrees Celsius during this period.

A firefighter told the Associated Press, "Children sweat much less than adults, and their body temperature can rise three to five times faster than that of an adult," stressing, "Therefore, it is extremely important not to leave children in cars during periods of rapidly rising temperatures."

Experts have pointed out that even people who have received prior education about the risks?such as doctors, school teachers, and childcare providers?can make the mistake of leaving a child in a hot car. They emphasized the need to make it a habit never to leave a child alone in a vehicle. U.S. authorities recommend placing personal items such as wallets or briefcases in the back seat to encourage people to open the back door and check before locking the car.