As of July 7, 10 children have died in a hot car this year.
Four of them were in Florida.
➤ Data reveals when, where children are dying in hot cars
The latest death happened July 5, in Hallandale Beach, over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, according to kidsandcarsafety.org. It was the third child who died in Florida in just over two weeks.
Almost 1,200 children have died in the United States since 1990, at least another 7,500 survived with varying degrees of injury, according to Kids and Car Safety.
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Temperatures inside a car can become deadly quickly, even if the outside temps aren’t hot enough to warrant heat alerts from the National Weather Service.
Temperatures in Florida have been mostly in the 90s, with the heat index well into the 100s. Heat advisories have been issued July 7 in South Florida.
‘Significant heat wave’ expected this week
The National Weather Service Melbourne warned a “significant heat wave” is expected this week, with high temperatures expected to reach the low to upper 90s across east central Florida. The heat index could reach as high as 110.
In South Florida, heat advisories were issued July 7 for Broward, Collier and Miami-Dade counties.
Heat advisories issued for parts of Florida July 7
10 children have died in US after being left in hot cars, including 4 in Florida
“Since 1990, at least 1,180 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.
As of July 7, 10 children have died this year after being left in a hot vehicle, according to Kids and Car Safety.
Four of the children were in Florida, with the most recent death reported in Hallandale Beach about 15 miles north of Miami.
➤ Baby girl dies after being left in a vehicle in Winter Haven
Hot car deaths: ‘It can happen to anyone’
“The majority of parents and caregivers are misinformed and would like to believe that a hot car tragedy will never happen to them,” Kids and Car Safety said on its website.
“It can happen to anyone.
“In over half of hot car deaths, the person responsible for the child unknowingly left them in the vehicle.
“In most situations, this happens to loving, caring, and protective parents. It has happened to a teacher, dentist, social worker, police officer, nurse, clergyman, soldier, and even a rocket scientist.”
Florida trends since 1998 on hot car deaths
In data going back to 1998, there hasn’t been a year that Florida hasn’t seen at least one hot car death, according to the National Safety Council.
In 2004, 10 children in Florida died in hot cars.
2026 hot car deaths in the U.S.
As of July 7, 2026, 10 children, including several babies, have died in hot cars. Locations, ages and circumstances — if known — have been compiled by Kids and Car Safety:
How do hot car deaths of children happen?
“On average nearly 40 children die in hot cars every year in the United States. That’s approximately one every nine days,” Kids and Car Safety said.
“Nearly every state has experienced at least one death since 1998,” according to the National Safety Council.
“In both 2018 and 2019, a record number of 53 children died after being left in a hot vehicle.”
“Eighty-eight percent of children who have died in a hot car are age 3 and younger,” according to Kids and Car Safety.
“Rear-facing child safety seats do not look any different to the driver if they are occupied or empty, which can cause a parent to lose awareness of them in the back seat.
“Approximately 43% of children who were unknowingly left were supposed to be dropped off at childcare.”
Cars heat up very fast. Cracking the window doesn’t help
“The inside of a vehicle heats up VERY quickly. Even with the windows cracked, the temperature inside a car can reach 125 degrees in minutes,” Kids and Care Safety said.
Research has shown vehicles become dangerously hot quickly, even when the outside temperature is moderate. With an outside ambient air temperature of 72 degrees, the internal vehicle temperature can reach 117 within 60 minutes, with 80% of the temperature increase occurring in the first 30 minutes, the National Safety Council said.
How hot is too hot for children inside a vehicle?
Interior vehicle temperatures can be 50 degrees higher than outside temperatures. Even on a cool day when the outside temperature is 61, within an hour, the inside temperature of a car reached more than 105, according to Consumer Reports.
On a 72-degree day, a car’s interior can be deadly in less than 30 minutes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The danger from high temperatures is particularly acute for young children because their bodies heat up three to five times faster than adult bodies, the American Academy of Pediatrics said.
Heatstroke in children can happen when their core temperature reaches about 104 degrees. A child can die if their internal body temperature reaches 107 degrees, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Safety tips to help prevent babies, children from dying in hot cars
Kids and Car Safety provided these suggestions to prevent children from being forgotten in hot cars:
Make sure children cannot get into a parked car
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://palmbeachpost.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 4th Florida child dies in hot car over Fourth of July weekend. Why?
Reporting by Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
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By Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
