Never Leave Your Child Alone in a Car

Did you know that a child’s body heats up 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s? It only takes a few short minutes before a child can become dangerously overheated.

In just 10 minutes, a car’s temperature can increase by 19 degrees – and it continues to rise.

In 2010, more than 49 children died while alone in a vehicle. It did not have to happen, and to make sure that it doesn’t happen to you or someone you know, download tips on preventing hyperthermia and help spread the word! For more information on preventing child heat stroke deaths, please visit www.safekids.org/heatstroke.

Together, we can cut down the number of deaths and near-misses by remembering to ACT.

• Avoid heat stroke-related injury and death by:
  1. Never leaving your child alone in the car, even for a minute.
  2. Consistently locking unattended vehicle doors and trunks.

• Create reminders and habits that give you and your child’s caregiver a safety net:
  1. Establish a peace-of-mind plan. When you drop off your child, make a habit of calling or texting all other caregivers, so all of you know where your child is at all times.
  2. Place a purse, briefcase, gym bag, cell phone or an item that is needed at your next stop in a back seat.
  3. Set the alarm on your cell phone or computer calendar as a reminder to drop your child off at childcare.

• Take action if you see an unattended child in a vehicle: Dial 911 immediately and follow the instructions that emergency personnel provide – they are trained to determine if a child is in danger.

Do your part!

If you see a child in a car on a hot day make sure to call 911 immediately, but we also need you to share information about prevention with everyone in your community.

It’s the Law!

The state of Florida  is one of many states where it is against the law to leave a child alone in the car.

According to state law, a parent, legal guardian, or other person responsible for a child younger than 6 years of age may not leave such child unattended or unsupervised in a motor vehicle:

1. For a period in excess of 15 minutes;
2. For any period of time if the motor of the vehicle is running or the health of the child is in danger

Violations of the law can result in fines, imprisonment and loss of child custody.

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