Hot car warning: How to keep your children, pets safe

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – As summer temperatures hit, it’s important to remember the danger the heat brings along.

While a majority of parents say they can’t imagine leaving their child in the back seat of a hot car, the vast majority of such cases happen unintentionally.

Over the past 25 years, an average of 38 children a year die from heatstroke after being left in hot cars, according to NoHeatstroke.org. During the summer, that is almost two children per week.

A car can heat up by 20 degrees and become deadly in only 10 minutes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). For example, if it’s 75 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car can reach 105 degrees.

Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees, the NHTSA added, and a child can die when their body temperature hits 107 degrees.

To prevent a fatal mistake, the NHTSA says to make it a habit to check your entire vehicle — especially the back seat — before locking the doors and walking away. One way to ensure this is to place a personal item in the back seat as another reminder to look before you get out.

The NHTSA also reminds parents that no matter what, they should never leave a child in a vehicle unattended for any length of time.

“Rolling windows down or parking in the shade does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle,” the NHTSA said.

The same rules go for your pets. Even if it’s just for a moment and the windows are cracked, it’s never safe to leave an animal in a parked vehicle alone.

Hundreds of pets die from car-related heat stroke each year. In fact, 31 states have various laws restricting people from leaving their pets unattended in vehicles.

Symptoms of overheating in pets include, but are not limited to, excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, and drooling, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.