Protect Kids and Pets From Death in Hot Cars

In the last 25 years, nearly 1,000 children in the U.S. have died from heat after being left in, or becoming trapped in a parked vehicle. Florida has the second highest number of vehicular heatstroke deaths in the nation, after Texas. And according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, hundreds of pets perish every year after being left in hot cars. All of these deaths are entirely preventable. With record-breaking heat, be aware that leaving a child or a pet in a vehicle for even a few minutes can prove fatal.

The inside of a vehicle heats up much faster than you may realize. According to a study by the San Francisco State University Department of Geosciences, a vehicle parked with an outside air temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit will reach an internal temperature of 109 degrees in 10 minutes, 119 degrees in 20 minutes, 124 degrees in 30 minutes, and 133 degrees in 60 minutes. As we all know, 90 degrees can be on the low end of our summer temperatures. With the mercury reaching 95 degrees outside on many days, the inside of a vehicle will get correspondingly hotter, even faster.

I’m leaving the window cracked. That isn’t nearly enough. Studies have shown that leaving windows cracked has little effect on the internal temperature. Parking in the shade isn’t good enough either. I’m just running inside for a minute. There is no such thing as a safe amount of time to leave kids or pets in a vehicle. A child’s body temperature rises up to five times faster than an adult’s, so they are especially vulnerable. Heatstroke can begin when the core body temperature reaches 104 degrees. Children can die when their core body temperature is 107 degrees.

Some kids or pets are deliberately left in hot cars because their caregivers don’t recognize the danger. Other times – strange as it may seem – people forget to take their child or pet out of the car. They may be distracted, or think that another caregiver has taken them. Always check the back of your vehicle, and find a way to remind yourself – you can leave a note in the front, or put your wallet in the back seat to make sure you look back there. Some deaths are caused by a child gaining access to a vehicle themselves and getting trapped unbeknownst to their parents. Make sure your vehicle is locked, and don’t let children have access to the keys.

If you can’t take your pet inside with you, leave them at home. Animals overheat quickly too – dogs don’t sweat, and only cool down by panting. Leaving water in the car isn’t enough. It is never a good idea to leave an animal alone in a vehicle, but never do it if the temperature is above 70 degrees.

If you see a child or animal left in a hot vehicle, call 911 immediately – this is an emergency situation. You can take a photo of the back of the vehicle to show the make, model, and tag, and a photo of the child or pet inside the vehicle. If possible, have someone go inside where the driver might be to let them know. If the child or pet is in immediate danger and help may not arrive in time, you are well within the law to break the vehicle window to save a life. Statute 768.139 states that a person who enters a motor vehicle, by force or otherwise, for the purpose of removing a vulnerable person or domestic animal is immune from civil liability for damage to the motor vehicle, as long as they are acting in good faith, call 911, use no more force than necessary to enter the vehicle, and remain on scene until a first responder arrives.