Surely no parent would leave a child in a hot car intentionally—however, child vehicular heatstrokes are happening more frequently.
In 2017, there were 42 such deaths reported in the United States. As of last year, Florida had the second highest number of vehicular heat strokes, second only to Texas. Fortunately, there are preventative measures you can take to ensure your child’s safety.
- Make it a habit to check the backseat twice before you exit your vehicle. Even if you know your children weren’t in the car with you.
- If you drop your child off daily, set a daily phone alarm for a few minutes after you would normally drop your child off to verify.
- Keep car keys out of reach of small children.
- eClip by Elepho Inc. is a device that attaches to your child’s car seat, seat belt or clothing to alert your iOS or Android smartphone via text when the backseat temperature is too high or too low. This device will sound an alarm if you leave your child in a car unattended. elepho.com
- If you see a child alone in a car, immediately dial 911—do not hesitate. In Florida, it’s legal to break a window to get to a child (or animal for that matter) who has been locked in a car.
