Where's Baby? Look Before You Lock

No conscientious parent would ever think of leaving a child in a hot car.

That said, 24 children have died this year after being left in cars during this summer's record-setting heat.

Between 1998 and 2010, close to 500 children died as a result of their parents accidentally leaving them in a car.

More than half of these heatstroke deaths occurred when a distracted caregiver simply forgot a quiet child was in the vehicle.

Such was the case for Reggie McKinnon of Orlando. 

On a warm spring day in March 2010, McKinnon took his 17-month-old baby, Payton Lyn, to the doctor to have her ears checked. After the appointment, McKinnon hurried to work, forgetting his child was in the car as he began thinking about all the workday tasks ahead of him. 

At the end of the work day, McKinnon opened his SUV and found Payton dead inside.

McKinnon now dedicates his life to raising awareness about heatstroke.

"I made a promise to my sweet Payton that I would do everything I could to prevent this horror from ever happening to another innocent child," he said at a press conference in Orlando.

To help prevent similar tragedies and get parents to think twice, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Safekids.org is launching Safe Kids Worldwide on Wednesday, July 31, coinciding with National Heatstroke Prevention Day.

The NHTSA and child safety advocates will use social media to raise awareness about the dangers of leaving children in hot cars. Child heatstroke messaging, statistics and prevention tips will be posted on Facebook and Twitter – using the hashtag #heatstroke every hour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

With the message "Where's Baby? Look Before You Lock," the NHTSA hopes to reduce the number of children who have died in cars due to heatstroke, medically termed "hyperthermia." 

Even when the outside temperature is in the low 80s, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach deadly levels in just 10 minutes, even with a window rolled down two inches. 

Children’s bodies overheat easily, and infants and children under 4 years old are at the greatest risk for heat-related illness.

To prevent these accidental deaths, the NHTSA urges parents to take these precautions:

• Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle — even if the windows are partially open or the engine is running and the air conditioning is on

• Make a habit of looking in the vehicle — front and back — before locking the door and walking away

• Ask the childcare provider to call if the child does not show up for care as expected

• Do things that serve as a reminder that a child is in the vehicle, such as placing a purse or briefcase in the back seat to ensure no child is accidentally left in the vehicle, or writing a note or using a stuffed animal placed in the driver’s view to indicate a child is in the car seat

• Teach children that a vehicle is not a play area and store keys out of a child’s reach.

In addition, NHTSA and Safe Kids urge community members who see a child alone in a hot vehicle to immediately call 911 or the local emergency number. A child in distress due to heat should be removed from the vehicle as quickly as possible and rapidly cooled.

To learn more about NHTSA’s “Where’s Baby? Look Before You Lock” campaign, visit www.SaferCar.gov/heatstroke.