The first child fatality due to heatstroke in 2020 occurred on April 25th. A four-year-old climbed into a vehicle without his family’s knowledge and died of heatstroke.
The number of children dying from heatstroke in vehicles has increased in recent years. There were 52 hot car deaths in the United States in 2019 alone.
54% of these fatalities occur because someone forgets a child in a vehicle. 31 of the 52 hot car deaths in 2019 happened for this reason. Trends show that this frequently occurs because the caregiver intended to drop the child off at daycare or preschool, and nearly 75% of the children who die for this reason are under the age of two. These deaths are more likely to occur at the end of the workweek, suggesting that fatigue may increase the risk of occurrence.
To prevent children in your care from being forgotten in vehicles, get into the habit of always looking inside your car before locking the doors. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends: Park. Look. Lock.
The second leading cause (25%) of hot car deaths is children getting into unattended vehicles. Lock your car doors and trunk all year round. Cooler weather doesn’t necessarily prevent vehicular heatstroke; the temperature inside a car can reach 110 degrees, even when the temperature outside the car is as low as 57 degrees.
Knowingly leaving a child alone in a vehicle is the third leading cause of hot car deaths. It’s important to know that a child’s body temperature can rise three to five times faster than an adult’s body temperature. Do not leave a child alone in a vehicle, even if the windows are rolled down or the air conditioning is on.
If you or a loved one has been injured, contact the Schuerman Law office today. Schuerman Law has been working with personal injury claims for over 40 years. John Schuerman will compassionately advocate for injured individuals as well as their families while fighting for full compensation of their claims. Schuerman Law offers evening and weekend appointments in addition to home and hospital visits. Schedule a free consultation today by calling 1-800-274-0045.
