ROCKWALL, TX (June 25, 2014) Summer is here and the heat is rising. The Rockwall Police Department and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would like to remind everyone to be mindful of your children and avoid leaving them alone in your vehicle. It does not take long for a child to die of a heatstroke if left unattended in a parked car. The temperature of a parked vehicle can reach deadly levels in a matter of minutes, even with a window cracked or rolled down. A child’s body can overheat easily, and infants and children under four years of age are at the greatest risk for heat-related illness.
The Rockwall Police Department and NHTSA urge parents and caregivers to take the following precautions to prevent heatstroke incidents from occurring:
- Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle – even if the windows are partially open or the engine is running and the air conditioning is on.
- Make a habit of looking in the vehicle – front and back – before locking the door and walking away.
- Ask the childcare provider to call if the child doesn’t show up for care as expected.
- Do things that serve as a reminder that a child is in the vehicle, such as placing a purse or briefcase in the back seat to ensure no child is accidentally left in the vehicle, or writing a note or using a stuffed animal placed in the driver’s view to indicate a child is in the car seat.
- Teach children that a vehicle is not a play area and store keys out of a child’s reach.
The Rockwall Police Department and NTHSA also urge community members who see a child alone in a hot vehicle to immediately call 911. A child in distress due to heat should be removed from the vehicle as quickly as possible and rapidly cooled.
Submitted by the City of Rockwall.
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