This summer, we’re making vehicle heatstroke awareness our top priority. We’ve shared some of the specifics around hyperthermia in our longer article. We’ve put together this handy, shareable guide to help get the word out!
Look Before You Lock | Lock Before You Leave |
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Get the Word Out
Share articles, graphics, websites, and anything that can spread the message with your social media networks. And with anyone who will listen!
Articles
- LOCK IT: PARKED CARS TRAP DEADLY SUMMER HEAT
- Three Tragic Deaths Remind Us to Never Leave a Child Alone in a Car
- Washington Post article featuring real stories about real people.
- How the brain works
- ‘Forgotten Baby Syndrome’: A Parent’s Nightmare of Hot Car Death
Websites
- http://noheatstroke.org/ This site is packed full of statistics and information from Jan Null, CCM, Dept. of Meteorology and Climate Science, San Jose University.
- http://www.kidsandcars.org/how-kids-get-hurt/heat-stroke/ This site contains personal stories, resources, and sharable graphics.
- http://www.safekids.org/preventing-heatstroke This site includes downloads, videos, and ACT Campaign information.
- http://www.rayrayspledge.com/ This site features Ray Ray’s Pledge, an effort to get parents and childcare providers communicating about child absences.
- http://www.safercar.gov/parents/InandAroundtheCar/heatstroke.htm This site contains NHTSA’s tips, resources, and even a quiz. We’ll be sharing these helpful images and infographics with our Facebook page.
Tips for Prevention
Do:
- Keep your purse, your wallet, your briefcase, your winter coat or your cane on the floor of the backseat. Force yourself to walk to the rear of the vehicle every time to get something you need.
- Stow your cell phone in the back seat. You don’t need it while driving and it will force you to check the back seat.
- Put your left shoe on the floor of the back seat.
- Keep a stuffed animal in your child’s car seat. When they’re in the car, put the animal on your front passenger seat as a reminder of your backseat riders.
- Set up a system with your daycare provider or significant other. Plan to call or have someone call you if your child isn’t dropped off by a certain time. Call your significant other at the same time each day to make sure the other either has the child, or the child is in the correct spot.
- Set an alarm on your phone.
- Keep vehicles locked in the driveway and teach children never to play in a vehicle. Hyperthermia deaths can happen when a child decides to play in an unattended vehicle and becomes trapped.
- If a child is ever missing, the first place to check is always any pool or body of water. The second place is the car, including the trunk.
Don’t leave your napping child in the car.
Don’t:
- Don’t leave children in your vehicle while you run in for an errand – even a momentary one. It takes a remarkably short amount of time for a child to overheat in an enclosed vehicle, even with the windows cracked. It’s worth it to take the extra few minutes to take your kids inside with you.
- Don’t leave sleeping children in the car and go inside –even in your garage. That car nap isn’t worth it when it’s far too easy to get wrapped up in other children, laundry, dinner, and phone calls and forget a child is asleep in a potentially dangerous situation.
