MANSFIELD — When a child dies inside an overheated vehicle, chances are a caregiver made a fatal mistake.
More than half (54 percent) of these 682 recorded U.S. deaths in the last 15 years happened after a parent or other guardian unintentionally forgot a child in a vehicle.
Another 28 percent happened when a child accidentally locked himself inside of a car, many of which include child=lock features in the back seat.
Statistics show only 17 percent occur when someone intentionally locks a child in a car. What do all the numbers mean? It’s simple, really.
Parents and other caregivers need to be more careful when it comes to children and vehicles, especially during the hot summer days we are having now across north central Ohio.
More than 680 children have died in hot cars in the last 15 years. Half of them were less than 2 years old, which means they never had a chance to grow up, go to school, go on a date or have a chance to explore their passions.
In eight out of 10 deaths, more careful attention by parents or other caregivers would have meant life for these youngsters.
Recently, a 4-year-old girl died in Pennsylvania after being left inside a sealed car for several hours. A woman in a relationship with the child’s father was supposed to take the girl to a daycare center.
Instead, she drove to work and forgot the child was in the backseat on a day that outside temperatures soared to 97 degrees.
Two days after that, a 3-year-old boy died in Texas on a 98-degree day after he was left in a car outside a church while his dad attended religious services. When the father remembered, he rushed outside to
the car … but it was too late.
Thus far in 2016, 23 children in the United States have died from heatstrokes inside vehicles. That is one less than the country saw in all of 2015 – and August is one of the deadliest months of the year.
These deaths are tragic – and often horrifying. A 2-year- old left in a car in Virginia in April suffered second-degree burns and had a body temp of 107 degrees when she was taken to the hospital. In June, a dad in Texas was charged with manslaughter. He placed his 6-month- old daughter in the refrigerator after leaving her in a car for about four hours.
Medical experts say heat stroke occurs when the body reaches 104 degrees. At 107, the body’s internal organs begin to shut down. In addition, a children’s hospital in Seattle says a child’s body heats up three to five times faster than an adult’s.
It doesn’t have to be extremely hot outside to become dangerous for a child alone inside a vehicle. But in weather like we have seen in Richland County in the past few weeks, it’s even more dangerous.
The key is for parents and caregivers to not become distracted when you have a child in the vehicle. It truly can happen to anyone – which is why everyone needs to pay closer attention.
Look for ways to remind yourself that you have a child onboard, especially if the youngster is in the backseat. Put a sticky note on the dash to remind you, for example. Set a reminder on your cell phone to “ding” with a reminder. Put your purse or wallet in the back next to the child so you will have more reason to get into the rear of the car when you arrive. Lock your car when you’re outside so a child cannot climb back inside.
These things seem simple – but anyone can make a mistake.
If you see a child left inside a vehicle, don’t hesitate to call 9-1- 1. The life of the child may be at stake.
It’s been a hot summer – and it’s going to continue that way for awhile. Let’s do all we can to make sure it’s a safe one for all local children.
(Carl Hunnell is the public information and community outreach supervisor for Richland County Children Services.)
