Submitted

As extreme temperatures sweep across the Southwest, Kids and Car Safety (KACS) is urging all caregivers to remain vigilant about the deadly risks hot vehicles pose to children and pets.

Even on days that may not feel extreme, the temperature inside a vehicle can rise by 20 degrees in just 10 minutes. During a heatwave, that increase is even more rapid and far more dangerous — quickly turning a car into a life-threatening environment. Children and pets should never be left alone in vehicles, not even for a minute.

The majority of parents and caregivers believe that a hot car tragedy will never happen to them. 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.

“Hot car tragedies can happen to anyone,” said Amber Rollins, Executive Director for Kids and Car Safety. “These incidents are not the result of bad parenting — they are the result of human memory failure, and a combination of the right circumstances like a change in routine and fatigue. With temperatures soaring, the risk is significantly higher right now.”

On average, dozens of children lose their lives each year in hot cars in the United States, and hundreds more are injured.

Kids and Car Safety recommends the following critical steps:

• Keep a stuffed animal in your child’s car seat. When you buckle your child in the car seat, bring the stuffed animal to the front seat (in your lap) as a visual and physical reminder that your child is with you.

• Look before you lock — always check the back seat every time you park.

• Place a reminder item (such as a phone, purse or employee badge in the backseat)

• Keep vehicles locked at all times and store keys out of children’s reach – 25 percent of all hot car deaths happen when a child gets into a vehicle on their own.

• Act immediately — if you see a child alone in a vehicle, call 911 right away.

“With the intense heat forecasted, this is a critical moment for prevention,” Rollins said. “One quick check can save a child’s life.”

Kids and Car Safety is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to saving the lives of children in and around vehicles through data collection, research and analysis, public education and awareness programs, policy change, product redesign and supporting families to channel their grief into positive change. For over 30 years, KACS has worked to prevent tragedies that occur off public roadways but result in devastating loss for families across the country.