Preventing Heatstrokes in Hot Cars

May 27th- August 11th is national Heatstroke prevention and is coming up soon. Sadly the numbers of heatstrokes per year are climbing. This year the numbers reached a record. 

Here Mayo Clinic breaks down the definition of a heatstroke: 

“Heatstroke is a condition caused by your body overheating, usually as a result of prolonged exposure to or physical exertion in high temperatures. This most serious form of heat injury, heatstroke, can occur if your body temperature rises to 104 F (40 C) or higher. The condition is most common in the summer months.”

NHTSA reported that in “2018, 52 children lost their lives—the most in over 20 years. This year is off to a sad start with the ninth such death reported on May 22 in South Carolina.”

It is found that this happens if a child is forgotten in a car or if a child gets its way into a car that is unattended. 

We want to remind everyone to get into the habit of locking their car doors all year round so it is not open for a child to wander in. “The temperature inside a car can reach 110 degrees, even when the temperature outside is as low as 57 degrees.”

NHTSA posted a few tips to follow if you see a child in a car unattended:

• “Make sure the child is okay and responsive. If not, call 911 immediately.”
• “If the child appears to be okay, attempt to locate the parents or have the facility’s security or management page the car owner over an intercom system. “
• “If the child is not responsive and appears to be in distress, attempt to get into the car to assist the child—even if that means breaking a window. Many states have “Good Samaritan” laws that protect people from lawsuits for getting involved to help a person in an emergency. “