Topics

Browse

By age

Prevent Heat-Related Car Tragedies

3 June 2025

In the past ten years, many children across the country have been forgotten in cars, leading to some tragic outcomes. It's important to realize that anyone can accidentally leave a child in a vehicle. This can happen because of tiredness, stress, or distractions like being on your phone and not paying attention before getting out and locking the door with the child still inside.

Staying in a closed vehicle for too long is dangerous, especially for young children and infants, whose body temperature can rise quickly and who cannot get out of the car on their own. Therefore, kids should never be left in a vehicle, even for a moment! A short lapse in attention can put their lives at risk and lead to tragedy.

Not even with an open window: Leaving the window down does not remove the serious danger of high temperatures inside the car for children.

Safety Habits to Help Prevent Hot Car Deaths

To prevent forgetting kids in a vehicle, you should adopt several habits.

Preventing Kids from Entering the Car Alone

  • Keep children from getting into the vehicle by themselves.

  • Always lock the vehicle when it's not in use.

Behavior and Paying Special Attention When Exiting the Vehicle

  • Each time you exit the vehicle, double-check to make sure everyone has left.

  • Avoid talking or texting while getting out of the vehicle.

Establishing Habits as a Safety Net Against Forgetting

  • Leave something important, like your wallet or phone, next to the child.

  • After dropping the kids off, call your partner.

  • Agree with your partner that if they haven't received a message by a certain time, they should call to confirm that the kids are not in the vehicle.

While there are sensors, apps, and accessories available, there are no official recommendations for their use. The most important thing is to adopt good safety habits.

Over the past ten years, hundreds of children across the country have been left behind in vehicles, some with tragic outcomes. If you’re reading this and thinking, “That won’t happen to me,” remember that forgetting kids in cars can happen to anyone. It can occur for various reasons, such as being tired, stressed, or sleep-deprived. It can also happen if you’re distracted or busy on your phone when leaving the car, whether you’re talking or texting while locking the door with the kids still inside.

Important: Staying in a closed vehicle for an extended period is dangerous, especially for children, toddlers, and infants, whose body temperatures can rise quickly and who cannot get out on their own. Therefore, kids should never be left in a vehicle, even for a moment! Just one moment can be life-threatening and may lead to tragedy.

Leaving kids in a hot car during the summer and the effects of heat on their health

Forgetting kids in a car is dangerous year-round, but it's especially risky in the summer. When a car is locked and the air conditioning isn’t running, temperatures can soar to 122 degrees in no time—this can occur at any time of the year, not just in summer. Additionally, children's body temperatures rise 3 to 5 times faster than those of adults, making the situation even more critical for infants and young children.

Important: Studies show that the temperature inside a vehicle spikes mainly within the first few minutes. That’s why kids should never be left in a car, even for a short period.

Never leave children unattended in a vehicle – not even for a minute

Some vehicles today feature an automatic locking system that locks the doors 30 seconds after the engine is turned off. If the vehicle locks with children or pets inside, it's crucial to break into the car before it gets too hot. There have been cases where children have accidentally locked themselves inside a parked car, whether it is running or off. To prevent this, keep the car keys in your hand or pocket to avoid locking the vehicle with the keys inside or left in a bag.

When getting in or out of the vehicle: keep the door open until the children are out or you start driving. Report any abandoned vehicles to the authorities to prevent children from getting inside.

Is the window down? That’s not enough: even with a window cracked open, temperatures can rise quickly and put children in danger.

To reduce the chances of these incidents, follow several safety rules and use tools designed to ensure no child is left in the vehicle. These tools are essential for anyone transporting infants or kids and should be used together, not just one.

Creating habits as a safety net against forgetting

  • Keep items you need, like a bag, wallet, or cell phone, next to the back seat with the kids.

  • Make it a habit to call your partner after dropping the kids off. Agree that if they don’t hear from you by a certain time, they should call to check if the kids are still in the car.

  • Set a reminder on your cell phone (“Remove the kids from the car”) before you expect to arrive at your destination.

  • Leave a child’s item (like a pacifier or bottle) on the dashboard next to the driver’s seat as a reminder when you’re getting out of the vehicle.

Preventing children from entering the vehicle alone

  • Always leave the vehicle locked when not driving.
  • Make sure that the children do not enter a vehicle on their own when you are not with them.

Behavior and paying special attention when exiting the vehicle

  • Make sure that everyone has exited the vehicle before you lock it.
  • Avoid any distracting activity such as speaking or texting.

Products designed to prevent children from being left behind in a vehicle

  • Parental Reminder App: A GPS-based smartphone app that automatically detects when a drive starts and ends. When the final destination is reached, a reminder is sent to voicemail.

  • App for Preschool Teachers: An app that allows preschool teachers to track when children arrive at school while also giving parents real-time updates on their child's arrival via the transportation vehicle.

  • ID Sensors for Seats and Seatbelts: This product features two types of sensors: a weight sensor that detects when a child is in the car seat and a sensor on the safety seat's buckle. These sensors connect to a device that functions as a car key fob, triggering an alarm or bell when the driver moves away from the child secured in the safety seat.
  • Detection System for Babies and Children Left in Vehicles: This sensor system detects in real-time if a child has been forgotten in the vehicle, automatically activating a series of predefined actions to ensure their safety. These actions may include sending a distress call to a hotline, opening a window, messaging a designated phone number, and activating the vehicle's cameras for communication.
  • App for the Safety Seat: This safety seat is equipped with a built-in monitor that alerts when a child is left in the vehicle, when the temperature inside the vehicle rises, or if the child has unbuckled themselves during the trip. Alerts are sent to the driver's cell phone via an app.
  • Alarm for the Car Keychain: This device attaches to the safety seat and activates when the child is placed in it. If the driver moves away from the vehicle without removing the child, the device issues a reminder alert. If time passes and the driver still hasn't taken the child out, the device activates a louder alarm that includes a “Baby in Danger” message to alert passersby.
  • Clip to Prevent Forgetting Children: This strap features clips on both ends, with one connected to the steering wheel and the other to the key ring. Both ends must be secured before the vehicle is started, and the clip must be released from the steering wheel when exiting the vehicle.

 

The Ministry of Health does not endorse any specific products or companies. Consumers are solely responsible for their purchases and use. Before buying any safety product, it is essential to evaluate whether it meets your needs.

Remember, the responsibility for leaving children in a vehicle falls on the driver. Any method you choose is merely a tool to help you fulfill this responsibility.

This information was prepared with the assistance of the Beterem National Center for Children’s Safety and Health.

You may be interested in