Where's Baby? Prevent Vehicle Heat Stroke | Burbank, CA Police Department
As summer approaches, the Burbank Police Department and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would like to remind you to "Look Before You Lock." You can take action to help prevent more tragedies related to heat stroke by not leaving children unattended in vehicles and checking the backseat before you get out of the car.
Nearly 900 children have died of heatstroke since 1998, because they were left or became trapped in a hot car. In just 10 minutes, a car can heat up by 20 degrees and become deadly.
Know the Facts:
A child's body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult's. When a child is left in a hot vehicle, that child's temperature can rise quickly — and they could die within minutes.
Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees.
A child can die when their body temperature reaches 107 degrees.
In 2021, 23 children died of vehicular heatstroke.
In 2018 and 2019, we saw a record number of hot car deaths — 53 children died each year — the most in at least 20 years, according to NoHeatstroke.org.
Help Prevent Hot Car Deaths:
1. Never leave a child in a vehicle unattended — even if the windows are partially open or the engine is running, and the air conditioning is on.
2. Make it a habit to check your entire vehicle — front and back — before locking the door and walking away. Train yourself to Park, Look, Lock, or always ask yourself, "Where's Baby?"
3. Ask your childcare provider to call if your child doesn’t show up for care as expected.
4. Place a personal item like a purse or briefcase in the back seat, as another reminder to look before you lock. Write a note or place a stuffed animal in the passenger's seat to remind you that a child is in the back seat.
5. Store car keys out of a child's reach and teach children that a vehicle is not a play area.
Secure Your Car
Always lock your car doors and trunk, year-round, so children can’t get into unattended vehicles.
Act Fast. Save a Life.
If you see a child alone in a locked car, get them out immediately and call 911. A child in distress due to heat should be removed from the vehicle as quickly as possible and rapidly cooled.
#heatstrokekills NHTSA California Office of Traffic Safety