Summer Heat – Know the Facts about Child Heatstroke

Know the Facts about Child Heatstroke

When left in the sun, a car can heat up to 20 degrees in just ten minutes.

OK, but what if you keep a window open?

Unfortunately, rolling down a window does little to keep your vehicle cool. The air you get from the open window will not prevent heatstroke.

Remember, leaving a child alone in a car is never OK, even for a few minutes, even if you keep the engine running with the air conditioning on.

Higher Risk

A child is at a much higher risk than an adult of dying from heatstroke in a hot vehicle – especially when the child is too young to communicate.

A child overheat up to five times faster than an adult.

Children can be heatstroke victims, even on cloudy days and outside temperatures below 70 degrees. When the outside temperature is 60 degrees, the temperature inside your car can reach up to 110 degrees. A child dies when the body temperature reaches 107 degrees.

Always Remember to Look Twice

Never leave a child alone in a parked car, even with the windows rolled down or air conditioning on. Look twice before you lock the car.

More Safety Tips for Parents: Safercar.gov

Laws against Leaving a Child Unattended in a Vehicle

Currently, 21 states specifically prohibit leaving a child unattended in a vehicle. In other states, existing child endangerment laws may be enough to charge with a criminal offense. Read more about leaving an unattended child in a vehicle

State Practice Tests

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Map over States with laws against leaving a child unattended in a vehicle by Kids and Cars Safety.