Staff Reports | Community Updates
Arizona Chapter National Safety Council is joining forces with the National Safety Council to mark National Heatstroke Prevention Day on May 1, increasing efforts to heighten awareness and educate the community on preventing hot car child deaths.
Since 1998, more than 1,000 children have died from vehicular heatstroke – 46 in Arizona – with 52% of those incidents involving a parent or caregiver forgetting the child was in the vehicle.
And hot cars can hit deadly temperatures quickly. On a 70-degree day, a car’s interior can hit 89 degrees in five minutes and 113 degrees within an hour. On a 90-degree day, the inside of a car can reach 100 degrees in five minutes and 133 degrees in an hour.
ACNSC is urging the community to act immediately to end these preventable deaths.
By raising awareness of the danger of vehicular heatstroke and children and emphasizing the three primary circumstances that have led to children dying – a caregiver forgets a child in a vehicle, a child gains access to a vehicle, someone knowingly leaves a child in a vehicle – parents, caregivers and everyone, including bystanders, can play a pivotal role in preventing hot car deaths.
“The possibility of a hot car tragedy is often overlooked. No one thinks it can happen to them or their family,” says Rick Murray, ACNSC president and CEO. “That’s why it’s crucial that we all become more aware of this danger to prevent such unthinkable and devastating losses.”
Free resources including tips for parents and caregivers, posters, videos, articles, technology solutions and a legislative report are available at: https://www.nsc.org/road/safety-topics/child-passenger-safety/kids-in-hot-cars.
Of Note: Visitors to the site are strongly encouraged to take NSC’s online course titled “Children in Hot Cars,” designed to raise awareness of the vehicular heatstroke hazard and outline proactive measures to prevent child deaths in hot cars.
