I would never leave my baby in the car!
The Facts
Over 1050 children in the US have died of PVH (Pediatric Vehicular Heatstroke) since 1990
- Reason for these deaths, they were left or became trapped in a hot car (www.nhtsa.gov)
- Ages ranged from 5 days to 14 years old, most of them less than 2 years old
- Heatstroke is one of the leading causes of non-crash-related fatalities among children (https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/child-safety#topic-heatstroke)
- All of these deaths could have been prevented (www.noheatstroke.org)
There are 3 primary reasons children become exposed to prolonged Hot Car cabins
- 55% died after being left unintentional, just forgotten
- 25% died because they gained access to the vehicle without parents knowing (Unattended)
- 15% died because they were intentionally left in the vehicle unattended
Heat Increases Fast
- In just 10 minutes a car can heat up by 20 degrees and become deadly
- A child’s body temperature rises 3-5 times faster than adults
- Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches 104 degrees
- A child can die when their body temperature reaches 107 degrees(www.nhtsa.gov)
Pets are Susceptible Too
- From 2018-2019, 78 pets were reported as suffered heatstroke and died in a hot car. Many go unreported
- Dogs with broad, short skulls (also known as brachycephalic breeds) are especially susceptible to heatstroke
- Pugs and bulldogs are more likely to die while trapped in a hot car
- Dogs with heart conditions, as well as overweight or underweight dogs, are also more likely to exhibit symptoms of heatstroke
(https://www.thezebra.com/resources/research/hot-car-death-statistics)
