Keeping Kids Safe: Car Safety

Keeping Kids Safe: Car Safety 

THE TOPIC: Heatstroke
Heatstroke is one of the leading causes of non-crash vehicle-related fatalities among children. Vehicle heatstroke occurs when a child is left in a hot vehicle, allowing for the child’s temperature to rise in a quick and deadly manner. Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees and the thermoregulatory system is overwhelmed. A core body temperature of about 107 degrees is lethal. Unfortunately, even great parents can forget a child in the back seat. Other risk factors include caregivers who aren’t used to driving kids, or whose routine suddenly changes.

Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, or bystander of a child left in a car, it’s vitally important to understand children are more vulnerable to heatstroke than adults.

Prevention Tips
· Look before you lock. Make it a habit to look before you lock, and try these tips to avoid putting children at risk of heatstroke.

· Keep your vehicle locked and keep your keys out of reach; nearly 3 in 10 heatstroke deaths happen when an unattended child gains access to a vehicle.

· TAKE ACTION if you notice a child alone in a car! Protecting children is everyone’s business—learn what to do if you see a child alone in a car.

What You Need to Know, Now.
· It is never okay to leave a child alone in or around a car for any reason. See how much you know about preventing child heatstroke.

· Even in cooler temperatures, your vehicle can heat up to dangerous temperatures very quickly. An outside temperature in the mid-60s can cause a vehicle’s inside temperature to rise above 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The inside temperature of your car can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes.

· Heatstroke does not only occur during the summertime or in the Sun Belt States. This deadly issue can occur at any time of year, in any weather condition, in any community—for any parent.

THE TOPIC: Backover
Many children are killed or seriously injured in backover incidents. A backover incident typically occurs when a vehicle coming out of a driveway or parking space backs over an unattended child because the driver did not see him or her.

Prevention Tips
· Teach children not to play in or around cars.

· Always walk around your vehicle and check the area around it before backing up.

· Be aware of small children—the smaller a child, the more likely it is you will not see them.

· Teach children to move away from a vehicle when a driver gets in it or if the car is started.

· Have children in the area stand to the side of the driveway or sidewalk so you can see them as you are backing out of a driveway or parking space.

· Make sure to look behind you while backing up slowly in case a child dashes behind your vehicle unexpectedly.

· Roll down your windows while backing out of your driveway or parking space so that you’ll be able to hear what is happening outside of your vehicle.

· Teach your children to keep their toys and bikes out of the driveway.

· Because kids can move unpredictably, you should actively check your mirrors while backing up.

· Many cars are equipped with detection devices that provide rearview video or warning sounds, but they cannot completely take the place of actively walking around your car to make sure children are safely out of the way. Do not rely solely on these devices to detect what is behind your vehicle.

What You Need to Know, Now.
· Backover can happen when you least expect it. Never leave a child alone in or around a vehicle.

THE TOPIC: Power Windows
Children can hurt themselves with power windows. Many kids are injured when a window closes on their finger, wrist, or hand. Some kids have been strangled by power windows.

Prevention Tips
· Teach your children not to play with window switches.

· Teach your children not to stand on passenger door arm rests.

· Properly restrain your children in car seats or seat belts to prevent them from accidentally activating power windows and sunroofs.

· Look and make sure your kids’ hands, feet, and head, are clear of windows before raising the windows.

· Never leave the key in the ignition or in the “on” or “accessory” position when you walk away from your car.

· If available, activate the power window lock switch so that your children cannot play with the windows.

What You Need to Know, Now.
· Your car may have child safety settings for power windows, but that doesn’t mean your child will not find a way to test the system. Never leave your children alone in a vehicle for any reason.

· All model year 2010 vehicles and newer will have “pull to close” switches, which require you to pull up on them to close the window. Older vehicles may have window switches that a child can accidentally step or put weight on, easily causing a window to close.

· Some vehicles have power windows that automatically reverse when an object (such as your child’s arm or neck) is in the path of a closing window. Check both the individual vehicle rating pages on nhtsa.gov and your owner’s manual to see if a vehicle is equipped with this