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A Record Number of Children Are Dying in Hot Cars
Through the end of July, 28 children have died from hyperthermia in automobiles, according to the founder and president of KidsandCars.org.
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75 Readers' Comments
How many People died last year from Shark Attacks? In 2007 there was one death in the entire planet. In the past few decades it averages to about 7.3 per year. BUT EVERYONE FEARS THE GREAT WHITE SHARK, THE PERFECT PREDATOR.
Cigarettes are by far the most perfect predator. And more people die from mosquito bites than any other animal. But Hollywood doesn't make movies about man-eating mosquitioes. And cigarettes lead to a long chronic illess and a festering death--too long for the short attention span of today.
Hollywood is trying to save us from a death of boredom by sensationalizing the stupid. I wonder what OctoMom is doing?
First, 73% of hyperthermia fatalities involve children less than three years of age. These children don’t use the car’s seat-belt system the way older children and adults do. They use a harness assembly that is part of their child car seat. With these children, a car’s seat-belt sensor won’t play a reminding role as it does with older passengers.
Second, most new vehicles sold in the United States have been equipped with the LATCH (lower anchors and tethers for children) system since September, 2002. Many child car seats are installed using this system and not the car’s seat-belt system. A seat-belt sensor would have no reminding role when LATCH is used.
Third, if a caregiver uses a car’s seat-belt system instead of LATCH to secure a child’s car seat, the seat-belt remains permanently fastened because it’s restraining the child’s car seat and not the child. This means a warning will sound every time the car is used, whether a child is in the car seat or not. This leads to habituation.
Effective solutions are available beyond sensors and improvised reminders. If we want to save lives, it’s time to acknowledge they exist and get them on the table when this important issue is discussed.
It should be stressed that nearly half these child deaths could be avoided by locking children out of vehicles. Lock all vehicle doors and trunk after everyone has exited the vehicle – especially at home. Keep keys out of children’s reach. Cars are not playgrounds or babysitters.
Dial 911 immediately if you see an unattended child in a car. EMS professionals are trained to determine if a child is in trouble.
The bottom line is that most of these tragedies can be avoided. With vigilance – and such a little change of routine as putting your cell phone on your back seat – we can save children’s lives.
For more information go to: www.safekids.org...
Safe Kids USA
As a dog owner, who has never even come close to forgetting my dog in the car, I can't see how this happens accidentally. I'd like to know which type of vehicles have the most forgetful parents, I'm thinking large vehicles, tinted windows and third row seats (ala SUV and minivan). Also, if people were in the habit of leaving windows and sunroofs cracked about an inch, it would solve a lot of problems and discomfort. Why everyones closes up cars to hotbox in the driveway baffles me.
In the summer months, children less than one year of age are as likely to die from vehicular hyperthermia as they are from asthma, acute bronchitis, influenza, malignant neoplasms, meningitis, motor vehicle accidents, accidental falls, accidental drowning or accidental poisoning.
The hyperthermia problem is real and requires intervention beyond awareness and improvised solutions. Awareness campaigns have existed for more than a decade and we have seen no downward trend in the hyperthermia fatality rate. Cost effective solutions are available and it’s time to get them into cars and infant car seats.
There are way too many incidents of this in our country! In Phoenix a woman left her daughter in the car while she took the groceries in the house. Even with the windows wide open you're asking for a world of hurt in the Arizona August sunshine without the airconditioning on! She forgot about her infant daughter for almost an hour.
Really, is it that important that the ice cream not melt?
People need to be aware of their offspring ... there is no excuse for a child suffering and dying from something that is completely avoidable, ie: drowning in the pool, overheating in the car, drinking kitchen cleaner/rat poison/ controlled medication ... Avoidable death is the tragic side-effect of people who should not be allowed to breed.
Every child that dies by being left in a car is, theoretically, one less person who will be unable to purchase a car from them. Smaller population = less sustainablity of car manufacturer.
Survival of the fittist (and I'm not talking human).
http://tinyurl.com/cbm9rk
What surprises me how adults can be so distracted. Whenever I have a child in the backseat, I am always aware of his presence AND even more of a defensive driver than usual. There is no way I could forget for a moment my precious "cargo."
PS This report makes me wonder if KidsandCars makes any difference. MADD and DARE do not; do any of these "awareness/advocacy" organizations do any good, really?
In reference to #10, how could you be missing your infant for an hour & not know it?!
This is crazy!
It wasn't me who forgot her child.
Here's the article from AZCentral.com. http://www.azcentral.com...
I'd blame it on the heat ... but I think that there should be a qualifying exam for any individual who'd like to become a parent; this, of course, would include psychological & background screenings.
If you're found highly likely to put the safety of the frozen pizza above that of your own offspring, then you are not issued the permit to own a child.
If you're found highly likely to throw your child from a bridge, no child-permit for you!
If you're found highly likely to incite a riot & use the child as a human shield, no need to even continue the application process.
All I'm saying, is that there are plenty of people in this world who are capable of caring for children ... and there are people who are not even capable to caring for a house plant.
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