The Georgia Department of Public Health said last year, 33 children under the age of four, three of those from Georgia, died from heatstroke after being left in a hot car.
Health officials remind us that children's body temperatures can rise up to five times faster than that of adults and heatstroke can occur in temperatures as low as 57 degrees. With temperatures expected to hit the high 90s by this weekend, that makes the warnings even more timely.
Lisa Dawson, the department's Director of Injury Prevention, said these accidents don't always happen to parents or caregivers who are purposely negligents. Most of the time, it happens when people get out of their routine.
"Mom usually takes the baby to child care and this morning Dad is taking the baby to child care and his mind is on the first meeting, and because he's out of his routine, he forgets about the baby who's fallen asleep in the back of the car," said Dawson.
She said it's a good idea to get in the habit of looking in the back and front of the vehicle before locking the door and walking away from it. Another good idea, she said, is to place your purse or briefcase or something else you're sure you'll need in the back seat. That ensures you'll see the child in the back seat.
Dawson said a child should never been left unattended in a running vehicle with the air conditioner on. That, she said, can lead to problems, as well, because children can often free themselves from car seats.
"We've had some very tragic situations where a child has done exactly that and panicked and tried to get out of the car," said Dawson. And she said she's heard of incidents where a child has been hit by a vehicle when exiting the parent's car.
For more tips on summer car safety for children, follow the links below.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2012/6/250006