2018 deadliest year for kids in hot cars in 20 years, report says
As the summer months start to heat up, the threat of leaving children behind in a hot car is starting to rear its ugly head and it seems 2018 was one of the worst years on record for
In just 10 minutes, the temperature in some cars can increase by 20 degrees, leaving the most vulnerable trapped.
According to CNN, on average there are 38 children who die as a result of being left alone in a hot car.
Fifty-two children died in the U.S. in 2018 alone, making it the deadliest year on record in the past 20 years, according to the National Safety Council.
About 53 percent of those cases were due to a parent or caregiver accidentally leaving a child behind.
The council’s report, which was released this month, says almost 800 U.S. children died of heatstroke in vehicles between 1998 and 2017.
Just 21 states have laws regarding this issue, the report says. Eight include the possibility of felony charges for people who deliberately leave a child alone.
General Motors is making moves to ensure its drivers don’t leave anyone behind. According to CNN, General Motors started with the release of the 2017 Acadia, GM has built a “rear seat reminder” into more than 20 of its 2017 and 2018 models.
The app Waze also utilizes its services to remind drivers to double-check before leaving their vehicles – the “child reminder” setting gives parents or guardians another alert to check the back of their cars once they’ve reached their destination.