Automobile Heat-Related Deaths Can Be Prevented

The Connecticut State Police remind motorists that leaving children unattended inside closed and/or locked vehicles when summer temperatures begin to sizzle is dangerous and sometimes fatal. It is also illegal under Connecticut law; leaving a child unsupervised in a motor vehicle could result in a felony charge.

Soaring temperatures that are now occurring should serve as a reminder that parents, guardians, day care providers, and babysitters should be educated about the dangers involved in leaving children in cars. Children have more free time in the summer and take part in more outdoor activities.

Sometimes they are supervised less and may play in unlocked cars or trunks. Children should never be left in a locked car or have access to unlocked, parked vehicles or trunks.

In 2005, 42 children nationwide died due to automobile heat-related deaths, up from 35 in 2004. These figures includes those children left unattended and those who entered parked cars, according to the national organization Kids in Cars. So far in 2006, five children have died. These numbers are staggering because they represent deaths that are completely preventable.

During the summer weather, the temperature inside of a car can rise into the triple digits in just a matter of minutes. Studies on thermal injury to children show that “dry heat” temperatures within a closed vehicle can become dangerous to small children and infants in only minutes. A high level of humidity can reduce that time by one half.

Body temperature in children increases three to five times faster than that of an adult, leaving them more vulnerable when left unattended or trapped inside a motor vehicle. Even temperatures as low as 60 degrees Fahrenheit can become dangerously high in an enclosed auto within minutes and can cause heatstroke or death.