Automobile Heat-Related Deaths Are Preventable

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 against the law.

Soaring temperatures that are now coming to the state 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 unsupervised, however, 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 include those children left unattended and those who entered parked cars, according to the national organization Kids in Cars.

Already in 2006, five children have died. These numbers are staggering because they represent deaths that are completely preventable.

During summer weather, 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.

As a reminder for the summer of 2006, the Connecticut State Police urge all drivers to never leave a child unattended inside a car. Under Connecticut Law, leaving a child unsupervised in a motor vehicle could result in a felony charge.