Heatstroke Prevention Campaign Underway
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which operates under the U.S. Department of Transportation, is urging parents and caregivers of young children to remember to “Look Before You Lock.” This campaign is geared toward heatstroke prevention as we head into the warmer months.
The agency is using $3 million to promote the campaign with the goal of preventing motorists from leaving children unattended in vehicles. It also seeks to remind people to lock their vehicles when they are not in use so that children cannot enter them. The nationwide campaign began recently with virtual events in Houston and Atlanta.
Watch the YouTube video. The clip below discusses the Look Before You Lock promotion.
Heatstroke Prevention – Make a Plan
It seems like every summer, we hear of at least one of these tragic incidents. A routine is thrown off, and the driver gets out of the car without remembering there is a child strapped in a car seat in the back. Hours later, the terrible mistake is discovered, but it is too late to save the overheated child’s life. Not only is the loss of a young child so tragic, but living with that kind of grief, guilt, and regret can ruin the remainder of the responsible person’s life. Because the stakes are so high with this type of accident, and they are so preventable, every year, safety advocates urge parents and caregivers to use extra care.
Form Safe Vehicle Habits
The NHTSA suggests implementing the following actions as part of a plan to prevent vehicular heatstroke:
- Get in the habit of checking the back seat each and every time you leave your car. Position a toy or stuffed animal in the front of the car as a reminder, or store the important items that you need for the day in the back seat.
- Get in the habit of locking the car as soon as you exit at home. Keep the car locked, and store your keys out of reach of children.
- Never leave a child alone in the car for any reason, even for a minute.
- Put in a request at your child’s school or daycare to call you if your child does not arrive.
- Teach children that cars are not playgrounds.
- If you witness a child alone in a vehicle, do not ignore – find the parent or call the police.
The Dangers of Heatstroke in Children
Because children are smaller and weigh less than adults, their bodies heat up faster. As such, kids are more vulnerable to extreme temperatures. As we know, here in Northern California, many days top 100 degrees during the summer. The time in which a car can heat up to life-threatening temperatures in that kind of weather is extremely short.
On average, 38 children die each year of vehicular heatstroke in the United States. Last year, 24 children died after being left in hot vehicles.
Auburn Personal Injury Lawyer
Hello, and thank you for reading our discussion of the NHTSA’s campaign to prevent vehicular heatstroke. My name is Ed Smith, and I have assisted injured Northern Californians as a personal injury lawyer in Auburn, California, for close to four decades. Heatstroke is far from the only danger associated with our vehicles. The highways surrounding Auburn are the setting for numerous car accidents each day, some of which are fatal. The aftermath of each car crash will vary according to whether the occupants sustained injuries, and if so, how serious those injuries were. A skilled personal injury lawyer can help protect your legal rights, and allow you the mental energy to focus on your physical recovery. If you have been injured in an automobile accident caused by the negligence of another driver, call me for free and friendly advice at (800) 404-5400 or (530) 392-9400.
Photo Attribution: MMcB
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