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Despite repeated public service announcements and the media frenzy that goes with another story of a child dying after being left in a hot car, the number of incidents remains high, the National Safety Council says.
The non-profit organization has issued a report highlighting the need for further regulation and more funding to go towards raising awareness and educating caregivers on the issue, CNN informs.
On average, 37 children die in the U.S. after being left in parked cars in the summer months. The number of incidents has gone up in 2017, as compared to the previous year, with a total of 742 children dying of heatstroke in cars between 1998 and 2017.
The figures reveal a problem that needs to be addressed right away, through proper legislation and a system that ensures that parents and caregivers are made aware of the consequences of such an act. Leaving a child unattended in a car, if only for a few minutes, is a tragedy waiting to happen.
As of now, only 21 states have laws on this issue; of these, only 8 include the possibility of a felony charge for the parents who deliberately leave a child behind in a hot car. Studies have shown that the majority of parents or caregivers who leave a child behind do so without realizing it (55%), while only 18% do so deliberately, perhaps thinking they won’t be gone too long.
“There is a patchwork system across the country,” Amy Artuso, the Council's senior program manager of advocacy, tells CNN of the report. “We are calling for codification or increased consistency across the states. Either pass legislation, or improve existing legislation to better protect children.”
Protecting children also means working to make caregivers aware of the consequences of their acts, mostly through education programs and PSAs. “Look before you lock” means instilling in a parent’s mind to always check the backseat before leaving the car. Parents can use visual cues as reminders, with the Council advising them to always keep a shoe, a phone or a handbag on the backseat.
The Council is also working with KidsAndCars.org to ensure the protection of those who act in “good faith” when they see a child locked inside a hot car, and to remove the so-called “safe” times when a child can be left unattended in a vehicle.
On average, 37 children die in the U.S. after being left in parked cars in the summer months. The number of incidents has gone up in 2017, as compared to the previous year, with a total of 742 children dying of heatstroke in cars between 1998 and 2017.
The figures reveal a problem that needs to be addressed right away, through proper legislation and a system that ensures that parents and caregivers are made aware of the consequences of such an act. Leaving a child unattended in a car, if only for a few minutes, is a tragedy waiting to happen.
As of now, only 21 states have laws on this issue; of these, only 8 include the possibility of a felony charge for the parents who deliberately leave a child behind in a hot car. Studies have shown that the majority of parents or caregivers who leave a child behind do so without realizing it (55%), while only 18% do so deliberately, perhaps thinking they won’t be gone too long.
“There is a patchwork system across the country,” Amy Artuso, the Council's senior program manager of advocacy, tells CNN of the report. “We are calling for codification or increased consistency across the states. Either pass legislation, or improve existing legislation to better protect children.”
Protecting children also means working to make caregivers aware of the consequences of their acts, mostly through education programs and PSAs. “Look before you lock” means instilling in a parent’s mind to always check the backseat before leaving the car. Parents can use visual cues as reminders, with the Council advising them to always keep a shoe, a phone or a handbag on the backseat.
The Council is also working with KidsAndCars.org to ensure the protection of those who act in “good faith” when they see a child locked inside a hot car, and to remove the so-called “safe” times when a child can be left unattended in a vehicle.
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