Alicia Ortiz NMDOT Transportation Regulation Division Director | Official Website
Parents and caregivers nationwide are encouraged to adhere to the "Stop. Look. Lock." procedure to avert fatalities due to hot car entrapments. The protocol stresses the importance of checking vehicles carefully before locking them to prevent leaving children inside. If a child is found in a hot vehicle, authorities stress the necessity of promptly calling 911.
On average, a child's death from heatstroke related to vehicles occurs every ten days in the United States. In 2023, 29 such incidents were recorded. Vehicular heatstroke is deemed the leading cause of non-crash-related vehicle deaths among children aged 14 and younger in the country.
Key information includes that car interiors can heat up to temperatures 50 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the outside environment, creating deadly conditions even on cooler days. This means even at an external temperature of 60 degrees, a child could face fatal conditions in a vehicle. Measures like cracking windows or parking under a shade provide minimal protection. Children's bodies warm up three to five times faster than those of adults, heightening their risk.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration emphasizes public responsibility in child safety by ensuring car doors are locked when not in use, preventing children from entering unsupervised. It further advises never to leave children alone in vehicles, regardless of the duration. Drivers are encouraged to maintain the "Stop. Look. Lock." method to verify children are not left behind in vehicles. Additional reminders include placing personal items in the back seat with children.
For further details about vehicle heatstroke, preventive measures, and protocols for responding to children in distress within vehicles, the public can visit www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/heatstroke. For updated statistics and data, https://noheatstroke.org is recommended.
