Child Passenger Safety
Children Dying Needlessly In & Around Vehicles
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There are many ways children are put at great risk in and around vehicles. These include power windows, trunk entrapment, being left in a hot car, and backing over children. These injuries are preventable and parents and caregivers are the preventive measure. By simply taking an extra minute or two these statistics can be drastically lowered.
Leaving a child alone in a hot car
Nearly 70% of children are left alone in vehicles by a caretaker - 34% of these children die! Each year, an average of 36 children ages 3 months to 8 years die needlessly from heat stroke (or hypothermia) after being left unattended in a vehicle. Children overheat 4 times faster than adults. A child’s body does not have the same internal temperature control as adults, and can warm 3 to 5 times faster. Within 10 minutes of being closed, in the daytime, the inside temperature of a vehicle will be almost 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperature. After 30 minutes the vehicle’s temperature will be 34 degrees hotter! Even in 70° weather the vehicle can reach a life-threatening temperature in just a minute. Leaving a window open does not help.
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Preventative Measures:
- Make a habit of looking in the back seat EVERY time you turn your vehicle off.
- Place important items in the backseat (a purse or briefcase) Or place a stuffed animal in the front seat - to remind you that the child is in the vehicle.
- Choose to visit ‘Drive-Thru’ windows when available so that all passengers can remain in the vehicle.
Backing over a child.
Tragically this happens more than 2,000 times per year and 27% of children die from being backed over by a vehicle. A driveway is one of the most dangerous spots in the neighborhood. A few seconds of your time can prevent this horrible loss.
Preventative Measures:
- Teach children to never play in or around vehicles
- Remember- kids and pets often run toward vehicles to say goodbye. Say your goodbyes and hellos inside the house.
- Be sure children and pets are inside a locked house when you leave
- Do the 360° test BEFORE backing up. Walk completely around your car before getting in.
Power Windows.
Watch your windows. It can happen in an instant! A child leans out a car window and unknowingly activates the power window switch. Unable to reverse it, the child is injured or can be strangled to death. Keep your power window switch locked. Such a simple thing can save a child’s life!
Trunk Entrapment.
Kids naturally love to play hide and seek. An automobile trunk looks to them like a perfect hiding spot. Unfortunately it is a death trap. 9% of deaths are caused by a child entering a vehicle’s trunk, being overcome with heat exhaustion, losing consciousness and dying before they can cry out for help! Just as families should practice fire escape routes in their homes, we should also take the time to teach our children that trunks are not a safe place to play!
Preventative Measures::
- Make sure to keep your vehicle locked and keys inaccessible so children can not get in the trunk.
- Keep rear, fold-down seats closed to prevent kids from crawling into the trunk
- Practice a trunk escape. Show them the glow-in-the-dark emergency release mechanisms. Cars made before 2001 can be retrofitted!
For more information and free informational flyers visit: http://www.nsc.org/safety_road/DriverSafety/Pages/ChildrenInAroundVehicles.aspx
