The start of fall is almost here, but depending on where you live in California, that doesn’t mean cooler weather is coming. Among the threat the heat poses is a scorching car — one in which children and babies die every year from.
So far this year, 28 children and babies have died due to a hot car nationwide, including California. That’s according to data collected by Kids and Car Safety, a national nonprofit that collects data on various vehicle-related dangers, including hot cars and deaths. The most recent case recorded by the nonprofit occurred on Sept. 1 in Utah.
“Since 1990, at least 1,158 children have died in hot cars in the United States and at least another 7,500 survived with varying degrees of injury according to data compiled by Kids and Car Safety,” the safety-focused nonprofit said.
Kids and Car Safety have recorded four hot car related deaths in California this year. The cases are:
Can a car get hot even if it’s cool outside?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that even if it feels cool outside, cars can heat up “to dangerous temperatures very quickly.”
“Leaving a window open is not enough — temperatures inside the car can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked open,” according to the CDC.
According to Kids and Car Safety, children have died from heatstroke in cars when outside temperatures were as low as 60 degrees.
Children’s body temperatures rise three to five times faster than an adult’s, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, making the situation all the more dangerous when a child is left in car.
How do this year’s numbers compare to 2024?
Last year, there were four deaths of children in connection with them being left or found in cars in California, according to NoHeatstroke.org, which tracks heatstroke deaths of children in cars. The site is from Jan Null, a lecturer in the Department of Meteorology and Climate Science at San Jose State University. Nationwide, NoHeatstroke.org accounted for 39 deaths in 2024. Kids and Car Safety accounted for 41 deaths last year nationwide related to hot cars.
2 tips to prevent accidentally leaving behind a child in a car
Among the tips to prevent unintentionally leaving a child behind a car, Kids and Car Safety recommend placing a visual cue in the front passenger seat to signify a child is in the car with you, such as a diaper bag or stuffed animal.
People are also encouraged to make a habit of opening the back car door every time they park, according to Kids and Car Safety. To help enforce this habit, people should place an item key to them, such as an employee badge, a phone or a purse.
Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 28 children, babies have died in hot cars this year in U.S., including in California
Reporting by Paris Barraza, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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