Hot Car Deaths
100% Preventable
Florida ranks second in the United States for child hot car deaths.
Child hot car deaths can happen to anyone.
A child’s body temperature rises 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s.
When a child is left in a vehicle, that child’s temperature can rise quickly–and the situation can quickly become dangerous.
Why children are vulnerable
Medical experts say it takes very little time for a vehicle to transform into a deadly environment. Temperatures inside a car can climb an astonishing 20 degrees in just 10 minutes, even if the windows are cracked.
According to pediatricians, children are uniquely vulnerable to these rapid temperature spikes.
"The main reason is that they just have a lower surface area," Dr. Genon Wicina, a pediatrician with Cleveland Clinic Martin Health, said. "They're not able to dissipate the heat nearly as much as an adult. But also, children get themselves in situations in cars where they don't know what to do to get them out of it. So, if they're feeling hot, they may just start feeling sleepy instead of saying, 'I need to open up the car door and get out.'"
Misconceptions and shifting routines
A common misconception is that hot car deaths only occur due to intentional neglect, but data tells a vastly different story. Amber Rollins, executive director of Kids and Car Safety, says that the vast majority of these incidents involve loving, attentive caregivers.
Data tracked by the organization shows that roughly 54% of hot car deaths happen when a child is unknowingly left behind by a responsible caregiver, often due to a change in daily routine. About 15% of cases involve children who were knowingly left in a vehicle, while approximately 25% occur when a child manages to sneak inside an unattended vehicle on their own and becomes trapped.
Medical and safety perspectives
What they're saying:
"Most of the time it's somebody who loved that child who was responsible for their death and had no idea it was happening," Rollins said. "It's incredibly frustrating that it still happens because we know that there are safety solutions out there that could prevent this."
Advocates point out that federal preventative measures have stalled. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was mandated to issue a rule requiring the auto industry to equip all new vehicles with occupant detection technology to alert drivers to a child in the backseat. However, the agency has yet to finalize that.
Preventative back-seat routines
What you can do:
Because routines can change unexpectedly, experts urge families to build physical "fail safes" into their daily lives rather than relying purely on memory:
- Look before you lock: Get into the habit of opening the back door every single time you park.
- The backseat trick: Place an item in the backseat next to your child that you absolutely cannot leave without — such as your cell phone, purse, wallet, or even your left shoe.
- Lock the vehicle at home: Always lock your car doors when it is parked in the driveway or garage.
- Communicate with caregivers: If someone else is driving your child around, or if they are headed to daycare, check in occasionally to confirm they arrived safely. A quick text or phone call serves as a vital reminder for the driver.
- Teach children to honk the horn and/or turn on the hazard lights.
- Never leave a child or a pet in a car unattended, not even for a minute.
