NC has seen the first and, so far, the only child fatality in the nation from heatstroke after being left in a car. Heatstroke can happen when kids are left unattended in cars, even in mild temperatures. Never leave children alone in a vehicle, and if you see a child alone in a car, call 911.
Heatstroke, also known as hyperthermia, is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children. It occurs when the body can’t cool itself quickly enough and the body temperature rises to dangerous levels. Young children are particularly at risk as their bodies heat up 3-5 times faster than an adult’s. Since 1998, at least 883 children across the United States have died from heatstroke when alone in a vehicle.
A car can heat up 19 degrees in 10 minutes and cracking a window doesn’t help. Heatstroke can happen anytime, anywhere. We don’t want to see this happen to any family. That’s why we are asking everyone to help protect kids from this very preventable tragedy by never leaving a child alone in a car, not even for a minute.
Remember to park, look in the backseat, and lock the vehicle.