With temperatures regularly staying in the 80s and 90s so far this summer, it’s important to keep your child’s safety in mind, as extreme heat can bring severe health risks for kids.
Each year, heatstroke claims the lives of nearly 40 children in cars, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
According to KidsandCars.org, at least 1,132 children have died from heatstroke over the last 35 years because they were forgotten or trapped in a hot vehicle.
Here’s what Illinois parents should know about heat-related deaths in cars and how to prevent them.
Hot car deaths occur most often throughout the summer
The most hot-car incidents occur from May through September. Children have died in cars every month of the year, although June, July, and August are the most common months.
Most hot car deaths are an accident
Being stressed can increase your likelihood of memory lapses that lead to leaving your child in a car, according to a prominent cognitive neuroscience expert who has researched the function of memory in such tragedies.
David Diamond, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of South Florida in Tampa, told Consumer Reports recently, “Forgetting a child is not a negligence problem but a memory problem.”
“The most common response is that only bad or negligent parents forget kids in cars,” Diamond says. “It’s a matter of circumstances. It can happen to everyone.”
A heatstroke fact sheet provided by KidsandCars.org highlights how broad the range of caregivers involved in these accidents is. They include: fathers, mothers, sitters, social workers, police officers, nurses and members of the armed services.
How many hot car deaths in Illinois?
Texas leads the nation with 160 hot car deaths between 1990 and 2024, according to KidsandCarSafety.org.
In comparison, 24 hot car deaths were reported over the same time span in Illinois.
Temperature in cars can climb fast
Cars can heat up quickly; interior temperatures can rise 20 degrees in 10 minutes. Even if it’s only in the 60s outside, the temperature inside a car can reach 110 degrees.
Examples of interior heat based on a 95-degree day:
How to prevent hot car deaths
To prevent putting children at risk, Kids and Cars recommends the following safety tips:
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Summer is the peak season for hot car deaths. Safety tips Illinois parents should know
Reporting by Hannah Hudnall and Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY NETWORK / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
