Vehicularheatstrokeislargelymisunderstoodbythegeneralpublic.

Themajorityofparentsaremisinformedandwould
liketobelievethattheycouldneverforgettheirchildinavehicle.Themostdangerousmistakeaparentorcaregiver
canmakeistothinkleavingachildaloneinavehiclecouldneverhappentothemortheirfamily.

Inover55%ofthesecases,thepersonresponsibleforthechildsdeathunknowinglylefttheminthevehicle.Inmost
situationsthishappenstothemostloving,caringandprotectiveparents.Ithashappenedtoateacher,dentist,social
worker,policeofficer,nurse,clergyman,soldier,andevenarocketscientist.
Itcanhappentoanyone

TheGreenhouseEffectinVehicles
TheinsideofavehicleheatsupVERYquickly!Evenwiththewindowscracked,thetemperatureinsideacarcan
reach125degreesinminutes.
80%oftheincreaseintemperaturehappensinthefirst10minutes
CrackingthewindowsdoesnothelpslowtheheatingprocessORdecreasethemaximumtemperature
Childrenhavediedfromheatstrokeincarsintempsaslowas60degrees.

ContributingFactors
Achildsbodyoverheats35timesfasterthananadultbody.
Achangeindailyroutine,lackofsleep,stress,hormonechanges,fatigue,andsimpledistractionsarethingsALL
newparentsexperienceandarejustsomeofthereasonschildrenhavebeenunknowinglyleftaloneinvehicles.
Rearfacingcarseatslookthesamewhetherthereisababyinitornot.
Children,especiallybabies,oftenfallasleepintheirrearfacingchildsafetyseats;becomingquiet,unobtrusive
littlepassengers.

Memory(CompetingBrainSystems)
ProspectiveMemory:processedby2brainstructures
1. Hippocampus,storesnewinformation,thehereandnow(processesthatachildisinthecar)
2. PrefrontalCortex,enablesustoplanfuture,accountingforachangeinroutine(processesroute,
includingtogotodaycareratherthanstraighttowork)
Habitmemory:formssubconsciouslythroughrepeatedactivitieslikeridingabike
BasalGangliastoreshabitmemories(drivingto/fromworkdaily),enablesautopilot

Whatcausesaparenttomisremember?Thebasalgangliatakesoverandsuppressestheprefrontalcortex.Thebrainis
onautopilot,doingwhatitwoulddoonanygivenday,notaccountingforchangesinroutine.Memoryspecialistsnote
thatthebasalgangliaismuchmorelikelytotakeoverwhensomeoneisfatigued.
Parentsloseawarenessthattheirchildrenareintheircars.Tragically,theseparentsreportthattheyhadpicturesof
theirchildontheirdesks,theytalkedabouttheirchild,andevenleftworkontimetopickuptheirchildfromdaycare.
(Dr.DavidDiamond,Neuroscientist,UniversityofSouthFlorida)

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Statistics

TheaveragenumberofU.S.childvehicularheatstrokedeathsis37peryear.(oneevery9days)

4 11

24 11 21 39 32 35 39 31 43 39 47 29 36 43 33 49 33 35 44 32 26 755
DataSource:KidsAndCars.org
(Statisticsbystate,countyorcityavailableuponrequest)

Circumstances
Inanoverwhelmingmajorityofchildvehicularheatstrokedeaths,itwasaloving,responsibleparentthat
unknowinglyleftthechild.

U.S.ChildVehicularHeatstrokeCircumstances(19902015)
Unknowinglyleft55%(413fatalities)
Gotinontheirown28%(212fatalities)
Knowinglyleft13%(100fatalities)
UNK4%(30fatalities)

AgeofVictims

Eightysevenpercent(87%)ofchildrenwhohavediedfromvehicularheatstrokeareage3andyounger.

Fiftyfivepercent(55%)ofheatstrokedeathsinvehiclesinvolvechildrenageoneandyounger.Rearfacingchildsafety
seatsdonotlookanydifferenttothedriveriftheyareoccupiedorempty,whichcancauseaparenttothinkthechildis
nolongerinthecarwiththem.

U.S.ChildVehicularHeatStrokeFatalitiesbyAge(19902015)
<1year32%(243fatalities)
1year23%(170fatalities)
2years19%(146fatalities)
3years13%(97fatalities)
4years7%(50fatalities)
5years3%(23fatalities)
6+years3%(26fatalities)

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TOTAL

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

1995

2000

1994

1999

1993

1998

1992

1997

1991

1996

1990

U.S.ChildVehicularHeatStrokeDeathsbyYear(19902015)

Prevention/SafetyTips

KidsAndCars.orgbelievesthesolutiontothesepreventabletragediesisacombinationofeducationandtechnology.
KidsAndCars.orgwouldlikeallvehiclestocomeequippedwithasystemthatwouldalertadriverifachildhasbeen
leftinthevehicle.Belowaresomesimpletipsparentsandcaregiverscanfollowtopreventheatstroketragedies.
LookBeforeYouLockGetinthehabitofalwaysopeningthebackdoortocheckthebackseatbeforeleaving
yourvehicle.Makesurenochildhasbeenleftbehind.

Createaremindertocheckthebackseat.

Putsomethingyou'llneedlikeyourcellphone,handbag,employeeIDorbriefcase,etc.,inthebackseat
sothatyouhavetoopenthebackdoortoretrievethatitemeverytimeyoupark.

Keepalargestuffedanimalinthechild'scarseat.Whenthechildisplacedinthecarseat,placethe
stuffedanimalinthefrontpassengerseat.It'savisualreminderthatthechildisinthebackseat.

Makesureyouhaveastrictpolicyinplacewithyourchildcareprovideraboutdaycaredropoff.Everyone
involvedinthecareofyourchildshouldalwaysbeawareoftheirwhereabouts.Ifyourchildwillnotbe
attendingdaycareasscheduled,itistheparentsresponsibilitytocallandinformthechildcareprovider.Ifyour
childdoesnotshowupasscheduled;andtheyhavenotreceivedacallfromtheparent,thechildcareprovider
pledgestocontactyouimmediatelytoensurethesafetyofyourchild.(thisisverysimilartotheabsenceline
usedbymostelementary,middleandhighschools)

Keepvehicleslockedatalltimes,evenindrivewaysorgarages.Askhomevisitors,childcareprovidersand
neighborstodothesame.

Keepcarkeysandremoteopenersoutofreachofchildren.

Neverleavechildrenaloneinoraroundcars;notevenforaminute.

Ifachildgoesmissing,immediatelychecktheinsidepassengercompartmentsandtrunksofallvehiclesinthe
areaverycarefully,eveniftheyarelocked.Achildmaylockthecardoorsafterenteringavehicleontheirown,
butmaynotbeabletounlockthem.

Ifyouseeachildaloneinavehicle,getinvolved.Call911immediately.Ifthechildseemshotorsick,getthem
outofthevehicleasquicklyaspossible.

Beespeciallycarefulduringbusytimes,schedulechangesandperiodsofcrisisorholidays.Thisiswhenmany
tragediesoccur.

Usedrivethruserviceswhenavailable(restaurants,banks,pharmacies,drycleaners,etc.)andpayforgasatthe
pump.

Pleasesharetheseimportantsafetytipswithyourchildcareproviders,teachers,relatives,
friends,familyandneighborsItcouldsavealife!

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