News : Cars Are Deadly For Unattended Children and Pets

Temperature in cars rises fast.

Nicolas Mokarski almost lost his life in a parked car.

Each year 30 to 40 children die in parked cars from heat stroke. Most of have been inadvertently left in the family car on hot day with the windows rolled-up. But some enter an unparked car on their own to hide or play.

The reason young children are especially vulnerable is because they have low mass for their skin surface area compared to adults. This means their internal temperature will rise more quickly than an adult. They also have less ability to produce sweat than adults.

A car parked in direct sunlight can reach temperatures as high as 171 degrees when the outside temperature is between 80 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat is deadly when the body temperature reaches 107 degrees and serious injury to the brain and internal organs can occur at lower temperatures.

Heat stroke occurs when the body temperature reaches 104degrees. At that temperature the body loses the ability to control its temperature. A person’s temperature can increase to 1060 in only 10 to 15 minutes. A body temperature of 107 degrees is fatal.

Here are some helpful tips from KidsandCars.org.

Make it a routine to open the back door of your car every time you park to make sure no one has been left behind.

Put something in the back seat to remind you to open the back door every time you park; a cell phone, employee badge, purse, etc.

Keep a stuffed animal in your child’s car seat and place it in the front seat as a reminder when you have a child with you in the back seat.

Ask your babysitter or child care provider to call you if your child hasn’t arrived as scheduled.

Keep vehicles locked at all times, even in the garage or driveway.

Keys and remote openers should never be left within reach of children.

If a child goes missing, immediately check the trunk and the inside of all vehicles in the area.

Teach your children to honk the horn if they’re ever in a car and can’t get out.

On the KidsandCars.org website is a story of the Mocarski family’s close call involving their 4 year old son. Mrs. Mocarski had these tips to follow if your child can’t be found around the home.

“Please make sure your cars are locked and of course even if you think they are locked still check the cars when a child is missing. Kids are curious and you just never know. We don't allow our kids to play in the car but I still reminded Nicholas he's not allowed to go in the car unless we are with him. I also taught him to beep the horn if he is ever inside a car and cannot get out. Please take this and learn from our nightmare of a day! Thank you!” - Nicolas Mocarski’s Mom

Luckily for the Mocarski family, a neighbor suggested looking in the car and Nicolas was rescued in time. (read the entire story at http://www.kidsandcars.org/nicholas-mocarski.html)

And don’t forget, leaving pets inside a parked car with the windows rolled-up is a prescription for losing your valued family pet. Each year hundreds of pets die each year in parked cars.

Helpful links:

http://www.kidsandcars.org

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/enforce/ChildrenAndCars/pages/Unattend-HotCars.htm

https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/pets-in-vehicles.aspx

chart courtesy Jan Null, CCM; Department of Geosciences, San Francisco State University