07/28/2023
Look before you lock! With high temperatures again this weekend, remember that leaving kids and pets in a hot car, even for a short time, can be very dangerous.
Understanding the Physiology of Heat:
A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than adults. Heatstroke occurs when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees, with imminent death for children when their body temperature reaches 107 degrees.
The Hazards of Hot Vehicles:
Within 30 minutes, a car can heat up by 40 degrees and become deadly: a mild 75 degrees outside will raise the temperature in a sealed car to 105 degrees in 30 minutes (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).
Idaho’s Vulnerable Populations:
Both children and the elderly population are more susceptible to heat-related injuries when left unattended in vehicles. These vulnerable populations may have underlying health conditions and impaired/immature thermoregulatory mechanisms to regulate
heat quickly. In addition, both populations may struggle with the ability to communicate their discomfort or potentially escape from dangerous situations.
Recognizing the Warning Signs:
The warning signs include excessive sweating, dizziness, confusion, rapid breathing, and flushed, cool, clammy, or pale skin.
Prevention is Key:
When routines change, the risk is the greatest of forgetting there is someone in the back seat. Visual cues are essential to help remember that there is a passenger in the back seat (like a sleeping child). Place a personal item in the backseat to remember to look before you lock. Place a personal written note or a stuffed animal in the passenger seat to remind the driver that there is a person in the back seat. When the vehicle is parked and not in use, keep the doors locked and keys out of reach so that curious children can’t enter an unattended vehicle as part of their play.
Credit: National Health Transportation Safety Administration, National Security Council Injury Facts.
