Rising summer heat increases risk of child deaths in hot cars

A record heat wave that spread across the East Coast of the United States during the first week of summer has child advocates warning parents and caretakers about the risks of heatstroke to children left inside hot vehicles.So far this year, nine children have died after being left unattended in vehicles in California, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, New Mexico, New Jersey and North Carolina, according to Kids and Car Safety, which collects data on hot car deaths.Five died in June.And last year, 39 children in the US died after being left in hot cars.Human-caused climate change keeps dialing up temperatures and extreme weather, scientists say.But the temperature outside doesn’t have to be super hot for a child left in a vehicle to be affected by the heat, said Kathy Wall, director of Safe Kids Palm Beach County.“Inside, the vehicle can heat up 20 degrees in just 20 minutes,” Wall said.

“So if you imagine it’s an 80 degree day, which in South Florida is a cool day, it could be over 100 degrees within 10 minutes inside the car.”Hot car deaths can happen any time of year, and since 1998, every state but Alaska has reported a hot car death, according to the National Safety Council.In both 2018 and 2019, a record 53 children died after being left in hot cars.About 80% of the heat rise in vehicles happens in the first 30 minutes of a child being left inside, when maximum temperatures can exceed 150 degrees Fahrenheit, according to data compiled by Jan Null, a certified consulting meteorologist at San Jose State University.“Children sweat a lot less than adults do and their internal temperature can increase three to five times faster than an adult.

So that’s why it’s just as important to make sure that your child isn’t left in the vehicle, especially during these rising temperatures,” said Capt.Karen Derogatis of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue.While it’s easy to place blame for leaving a child in a vehicle, even people trained to know the ...