Heatstroke Can Kill

With the summer season fast approaching, it is time to think seriously about the special danger posed by children being left in cars during the hot summer months. Even the most loving parents and caregivers can unintentionally leave a child in a car, such as a baby sleeping in a rear car seat. Sometimes a child may enter the car on their own. However, as we are all too well aware, the consequences can be severe when a child is left in a closed motor vehicle during the hotter times of the year. Doing so can lead to serious injury and even death. Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is that it does not have to be a particularly hot day for a child to be at risk. Even on a day when the temperature is as low as 60 degrees, the interior temperature of a car or truck can reach 110 degrees. Once the body temperature of a child reaches 107 degrees, they will likely die.

According to noheathstroke.org, on average, 37 children die from heatstroke each year. Motor vehicle-related heatstroke can happen well before much of the country begins to experience what we consider warm weather. There was already a tragic incident this year in which a child in Miami, Florida, died as a result of being left behind in a vehicle by accident. Typically, such tragedies occur because parents and caregivers are distracted and overwhelmed by the fast pace of everyday life. That’s why it is extremely important to slow down and think carefully when exiting a car or truck while traveling with children.

In order to protect your family and loved ones and the children in your community, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States Department of Transportation recommends that all parents and caregivers follow these practices when traveling with children:

• Before remotely or manually locking your vehicle, make sure to check the back seats of your car or truck.
• Use a visual cue such as a stuffed animal to keep in the child’s car seat when the seat is empty. When a child is in the back seat, move the reminder to the front. This will help you remember that a child is buckled in the back of the car. Another similar tip is to place personal electronics (like a mobile phone), a pocketbook, briefcase, or small piece of luggage in the back seat to ensure you retrieve the item when you reach your destination — and thereby see your child sitting nearby.
• In situations where a friend, family member, or professional driver is responsible for transporting your child, call the driver or the destination at the estimated time of arrival to confirm your child has arrived safely.
• When not traveling, and when you know no one is in your car or truck, keep it locked at all times to prevent a child from getting in. Likewise, keep the vehicle key in a place where young children cannot access it.
• If you ever see a child alone in any type of vehicle, do not hesitate — call 911. If the child appears to be in distress or is non-responsive, take action to remove the child from the vehicle, and then call 911 if you have not already done so.
• Prevention is the key. By understanding the very real danger involved, you can plan ahead so that the tragedy of heatstroke does not strike in the first place.

The attorneys at Liever, Hyman & Potter, P.C. are concerned for the safety of children and families traveling on the roads and highways in Berks County and Schuylkill County, and serve auto, truck, bus, and motorcycle accident victims and their families in Reading, PA, Pottsville, PA, and throughout Eastern and Central Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia.