Never leave unattended children in a vehicle Published March 8, 2011 By Jasmine Yohman 17th Training Wing Safety GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas-- -- There has been an alarming rate in the number of children dying because they were left in vehicles by parents and caregivers. According to KidsAndCars.org, there were 49 fatalities resulting from children being left unattended in a vehicle in 2010 alone. There is no excuse to ever leave a child in a car. Here are some ways to help remind you your child is in the vehicle. · Make it a habit to look in the back seat before getting out. Place essentials like a cell phone, wallet or purse, in the back seat so when you get out of the car you always look in the back seat. · Have a reminder in the front seat, like a diaper bag or stuffed animal. The visual item should trigger should serve as a reminder that a child is in the vehicle. · Take the child before removing anything else from a car as this can prevent distractions. Another possible safety precaution is to have the daycare call you if at a certain time your child is not there. This can help guarantee you will not forget to drop off your child at daycare. If you change routines and have to have someone else take your child to daycare, call the person taking the child to make sure they dropped him off. Change of routine is the number one cause of deaths of an unattended child, according to KidsAndCars.org. Although it seems easier to leave your child in the car while and run into a store for just a few minutes, minutes can kill your child. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, cars parked in direct sunlight can reach internal temperatures up to 172 degrees. Within the first 10 minutes, the temperature in an enclosed vehicle can increase an average of 19 degrees and creates a potentially lethal situation. Some parents falsely think it is okay to leave a child in the car if the windows are rolled down. This is not the case; many studies have shown that leaving the windows down does not decrease the chance of hyperthermia. The Center for Disease Control reports hyperthermia occurs when the body temperature reaches 104 degrees and a body temperature of 107 degrees is lethal. In Texas, there is a law, PC 22.10, against leaving your child unattended in a vehicle. If you leave a child age seven or under alone in a vehicle for five minutes or more and if you leave you child in the vehicle for more than five minutes with another person age 14 or under, you can face a Class C misdemeanor, which lead to a fine of up to $500. If you see a child left unattended in another person's vehicle, call the police immediately.
