How to Protect Your Child from Suffering Heatstroke in a Car

November 17, 2020 · 3 min read

Tips to Keep Your Kids and Pets Safe Inside a Vehicle During the Summer

Now that summer is here and the weather is hotter than normal, it’s more important than ever to make sure that your child isn’t left alone inside a hot car. Here are a few things you can do to protect your child and pets from suffering from heatstroke inside a hot car during the summer.

Create Reminders

Unfortunately, most kids or pets that die in a hot car are forgotten about and left behind by the parent, guardian, or caregiver. To help keep them in your mind, it’s very important to create reminders. Here are a few ways you can do so.

Keep an important item, such as your purse, phone, or bag in the backseat near the child but not within their reach.
Keep a toy in the child seat when unoccupied and move the toy up front with you when you have a child in the car.
Set reminders on your phone to alert you to check on your child approximately when you expect to park.
Do not be distracted while driving or exiting the vehicle. Keep the phone away until you and your child are someplace safe.
Have someone call you. If you are dropping your child off at daycare, by a babysitter, or with a family member, give that person your phone number and tell them to call you regarding the child if you are more than 10 minutes late.

Keep Your Car Locked and the Keys Out of Reach

Even if you do everything right and remember to check on your child after reaching your destination, it’s important that your child doesn’t accidentally get inside your car while you aren’t looking. Always keep your vehicle locked while you are at home and stash the keys in a safe place that they cannot reach. Teach your child that your car keys are not toys and make sure they don’t see your vehicle as a place to play. This can help prevent your child from entering without your knowledge and accidentally locking themselves inside.

Have an Adult Stay Inside the Car with the A/C Running

A five-minute errand can easily turn into twenty. What if there’s a long line at the store? What if you can’t find what you are looking for? Even if you only plan to leave your child inside your car for two minutes, always either bring them with you or have a trusted adult stay inside the car with the A/C running. This will prevent any possible kidnappings and will keep them from getting too hot. Cracking a window will not help your child stay cool.

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