Dangers of hot cars: Tips to not forget your passengers
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – According to KidandCars.org, about 37 children die each year from a vehicular stroke after being left in a hot car.
“As the temperatures rise and we get into the real hot days of summer, it is extremely important for parents to check their vehicles to make sure that they are not leaving a child,” said Mark Mccurdy, Fire Station One’s Fire Marshal.
Studies show that heat-related deaths are increasing in the United States. Over two thousand deaths were reported in the country just last year.
Fire Station One’s Fire Marshal Mark Mccurdy said the temperatures inside vehicles can warm up fast. The average car’s temperature is usually 43 degrees higher than the outside temperature, which is why you should also not leave your pets inside your vehicle.
“We see sometimes pets get left in the vehicle, but with the temperature rising, it is really hot outside but the temperature inside a closed vehicle is like a greenhouse effect,” said Mccurdy.
“Car temperatures can rise very quickly, you take for example a 70-degree temperature, the temperature inside the car can be 170 degrees causing serious problems with heat strokes in children,” said Patrick Warner, Oktibbeha County Fire Coordinator.
Warner also said there are a few things you can do to make sure you do not forget to check your backseat.
“You can look before you lock, you can put a briefcase or another important item by your child’s seat, or you can set a reminder like an alarm clock,” said Warner.
Warner said If possible, it is best to always park your car in the shade so that the heat from the car seat does not harm your child.
“Plastic can get very hot, it is just like anything when you touch it, it will burn you. So, you want to make sure that everything is in a cool shaded area, so that way you are not touching it like a dashboard or a steering wheel. You know when you touch those things, they can burn you, so you want to do the same thing with car seats also,” said Warner.
Both Warner and Mccurdy said you should also not leave your pets in a closed vehicle without the air conditioning running because they can also have heat strokes.
