Heatstroke

According to KidsAndCars.org, over 940 children have died in hot cars nationwide since 1990. Even the best of parents or caregivers can unknowingly leave a sleeping baby in a car; and the end result can be injury or even death.

Scroll down for child stories, fact sheets, safety tips, charts, graphics, PSAs, studies, etc.

Child Vehicular Heatstroke Deaths by Year

(location-specific and detailed information available upon request)

2020 22 (view list) 2019 53 (view list) 2018 54* (view list) 2017 43 Average # of deaths per year: 39 (one every 9 days) *Year with the most fatalities: 2018 (54 deaths)

Fact Sheet & Safety Tips

Charts, Statistics, Graphics

Below are KidsAndCars.org charts and graphs which can be downloaded for free and are excellent education materials. We encourage you to share, print, copy, distribute, or enlarge them; but we ask that no changes be made. Please note, the PDF files are large and may take some time to open in your browser.

MUST READS:

Child Stories

Far too many children have been inadvertently left in vehicles or have gotten into a vehicle on their own. Vehicular heatstroke tragedies change the lives of parents, families, and communities forever. The stories at the links below are about children whose lives were lost, and near misses, after becoming trapped inside of a hot vehicle.

Tragedies

Near Misses

Social Media Posts

Hashtags: #heatstrokekills #lookbeforeyoulock

An occupant detection system in cars could prevent hot car deaths. #PasstheHotCarsAct #heatstrokekills #lookbeforeyoulock

Technology exists to prevent hot car deaths… what are we waiting for? #PasstheHotCarsAct

2018 was the deadliest year in history for child hot car deaths. #PasstheHotCarsAct #heatstrokekills #lookbeforeyoulock

Cars can alert us of children in the back seat and save precious little lives. #PasstheHotCarsAct #heatstrokekills #lookbeforeyoulock

See a child or animal alone in a car? Get involved! Call 911 immediately. #heatstrokekills #lookbeforeyoulock

Be prepared to save a baby in a hot car with a resqme tool… get it today at /resqme-tool/ #heatstrokekills #lookbeforeyoulock

Always check the back seat for baby! #lookbeforeyoulock #heatstrokekills

Ask childcare to call you if your baby doesn’t show up as planned! #heatstrokekills #lookbeforeyoulock

Always keep cars locked & keys out of reach of children. If a child is missing – check in all cars! #heatstrokekills #lookbeforeyoulock

State Laws

Public Service Announcements (PSAs) and Videos

Heighten awareness about the dangers children face in and around motor vehicles with KidsAndCars.org’s Public Service Announcements. Please encourage TV stations, hospital, doctor offices, public health offices, parenting classes, etc., to share this life-saving information.

Technology

KidsAndCars.org believes the solution to these preventable tragedies is a combination of education and technology. KidsAndCars.org would like all vehicles to come equipped with a system that would alert a driver if a child has been left in the vehicle. The Hot Cars Act has been recently introduced and would require technology in call vehicles to prevent heatstroke tragedies – learn more here.

Systems available to install during manufacturing or aftermarket that can ‘detect’ the presence of a child:

Vayyar’s 3D imaging sensor technology quickly and easily looks into objects or any defined volume (inside of a vehicle) and detects even the slightest anomalies and movements to bring highly sophisticated imaging capabilities to your fingertips. The system can detect the number of passengers, where they are and even if they are an adult vs. a child. Watch video demo

Senseair Sunrise Automotive is the new generation NDIR sensor with Optical Solid State technology. Electronics with no moving parts make this sensor robust and resistant to vibrations, which is ideal for automotive applications for active occupant detection. When CO2 rises in a closed car, due to a child or pet inside or entering a parked car, an alarm can be triggered via a smartphone app or the windows lowered (dependent on OEM requirements and integration).

Examples of Aftermarket Products:

CleverElly is a simple and useful device that reminds the driver to check the back seat before exiting the vehicle. Requires no installation and doubles up as a USB car charger that comes in handy in any car. CleverElly is often praised for being the simplest and quickest aftermarket technology solution to help prevent accidental heatstroke cases from taking place.

CoPilot is the ideal backseat baby reminder that attaches to any infant car seat strap and sends a signal to an alarm key chain fob that attaches to car keys. No Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or smartphone app required! Easily install the seatbelt clip just once below the existing car seat buckle. An integrated alert sensor automatically pairs with each of the (2) alarm key fobs included in this system. When a driver leaves the car without unbuckling the seatbelt clip, in approximately 30-45 seconds the sensor will signal the alarm on his or her key fob. It’s a simple, affordable solution that requires no professional installation and provides parents the ultimate peace of mind to prevent a tragedy.

Disclaimer of Endorsement:

KidsAndCars.org does not endorse or recommend any commercial products, brands or services listed on our website. We encourage visitors to carefully assess whether any product, service or brand will meet the needs of their specific circumstance. The KidsAndCars.org website provides links to other websites only for the convenience of its users. KidsAndCars.org is not responsible for the availability or content of these external sites, nor do they endorse, warrant, or guarantee the products, services, or information described or offered on these external sites. KidsAndCars.org’s name or logo may not be used for product endorsement or advertising. Pre-approval from KidsAndCars.org must be obtained before our organization’s name is used in any way.

Heatstroke Studies

Below are studies specific to vehicular heatstroke injuries and deaths. There have been several studies published about vehicular heatstroke but there is still much to be learned.