By Jennifer Rubin
Injury Prevention Specialist, Trauma Program
Safe Kids Greater Sacramento Coalition Coordinator
UC Davis Health Injury and Violence Prevention

Summer is a time to celebrate with graduations, weddings, and outdoor fun. But the summer heat in Sacramento brings additional risks inside the car. On average, 37 children die per year due to vehicular heatstroke in the United States, according to NoHeatstroke.org. Heatstroke is a condition that occurs when the body isn’t able to cool itself quickly enough and the body temperature rises to dangerous levels. Children are at great risk for heatstroke because a child’s body heats up three to five times faster than an adult’s.

Why Are Kids in Hot Cars?

It’s heartbreaking. These cases happen when kids are left unattended in a car – either they are mistakenly forgotten, or the child gets into an unlocked car without the parent knowing. A common cause of a child being forgotten in a car is a change in routine, such as switching which parent is dropping a child off at daycare. Toddlers may become trapped if they climb in the car or the trunk to play and don’t know how to get out.

Take Action

We can reduce the number of deaths from heatstroke by remembering to ACT.

A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving your child alone in a car, not even for a minute. And make sure to keep your car locked when you’re not in it so kids don’t get in on their own.

C: Create reminders by putting something in the back of your car next to your child such as a briefcase, a purse or a cell phone that is needed at your final destination. Have a plan with your childcare provider. If your child does not show up at daycare or school without prior notice, someone should call you.

T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. Emergency personnel want you to call. They are trained to respond to these situations. One call could save a life.

Additional Resources

If you want more resources on how you can help prevent heatstroke, we’ve got you covered. And remember, before leaving a vehicle, stop, look for a child, and lock the car doors. It only takes a second.