WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – With summer nearly here and the return of the heat, the threat of kids or pets left in hot cars once again becomes a real concern.
That’s why there is a national campaign aimed to remind parents to check for kids in the backseat, before locking their car.
“Set reminders for yourself. Maybe a reminder on your phone. Put your purse, or a phone, or even your lunch, or something put it in the back of the car so it forces you to look in the back of the car when you get out of the back of the car,” said District Attorney, Jason Smith.
On a normal 80-degree day, the inside of a car could rise to over 120 degrees, which is deadly for a child trapped inside.
This is one reason why dozens of kids die every year from heat strokes in cars, and it happens more easily than you’d think.
“More than 50% of the time kids or animals are forgotten about in the car. That’s if you’re running the groceries in…and just your mind is not in the right place to be remembering your child’s in the backseat. The next one would be gained access, which is more than 25% of the time. This is when your child may find the keys to your car, truck, or van especially once they get to that certain age where they just kind of like to press buttons on everything. They might get inside that car, lock the doors, trap themselves inside of it and not know how to get out. You’re just thinking they’re in their playroom, not really paying attention to where they might be. The last one would be knowingly left. Some people may not have the funds to afford daycare for example, they might think if they’re in there with their play pad or their older sibling, they’re ok to sit in the car for two hours,” said Health Educator and Safe Kids Coordinator, Emma Cary.
A child’s internal body temperature heats five times faster than an adult’s.
It’s not something we see happen very often here, the last death in New Hanover County in 2016, but Smith says we should all be on the lookout for people or pets struggling in a hot car.
“If you see it, report it. But don’t be afraid to go and maybe break the car window to save that pet or that child. We’re not coming after you for trying to save a life,” said Smith.
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