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Cars can become lethal 'ovens' for young children

As temperatures rise this season, General Motors and the National SAFE KIDS Campaign are urging people to be vigilant about preventing heatstroke fatalities among children who are intentionally left or forgotten in, or who gain access to a hot, unattended parked vehicle.

According to GM research, deaths heat-related deaths of children left unattended in sweltering cars increased almost 70 percent from 2002 to 2003.
Since 1996, GM researchers have identified a total of 228 fatalities based upon media reports, however, the actual number could be higher. This year, GM researchers have already identified four fatalities. One occurred in early March in Oregon, on a day when the high temperature was less than 70 F.

“This news is shocking and we are pleading with everyone – parents, bystanders and the news media – to take action to help prevent more of these tragedies from happening this year,” said Deb Nowak-Vanderhoef, a GM safety executive. “We especially want to reach out to bystanders who see unattended children in a hot vehicle, to urge them to contact emergency services immediately. It could save a child’s life.”

Since 2001, GM and SAFE KIDS have been educating the public on the dangers of leaving children unattended in motor vehicles with a campaign called “Never Leave Your Child Alone.”

Until now, education and outreach efforts have been aimed mostly at parents and other people who transport children. This year the partner organizations are extending their campaign to involve bystanders.

“Many of these deaths happen when a child is left behind or forgotten by an adult, while others occur when a child gains access to an unlocked car and cannot get out,” said Dr. Angela Mickalide, program director of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign. “We want parents to know that leaving a child alone in a vehicle, even for a few minutes, is never OK. We also want people to know that if they see a small child alone in a vehicle, they need to get help.”

GM research shows that children also are dying when they gain access to an unlocked vehicle, often in their own driveway, and then are not able to get themselves out. GM and SAFE KIDS urge adults to lock vehicles at all times and put the keys in a secure place and out of reach of children – even at home.

In studies commissioned by GM of Canada, Dr. Oded Bar-Or of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, has shown how susceptible children are to heatstroke. The first study, completed in 2001, revealed that a child left in a hot, closed vehicle in dry heat can face serious risk of injury or death in just minutes. The second study, released in early 2003, showed that when substituting humid heat for dry heat, injury or death can occur in half the time.

Previous research and real-world incidents have demonstrated that on a warm, sunny day, even at temperatures as mild as 60 degrees Fahrenheit, a closed vehicle can be lethal. Because a child’s body temperature increases three to five times faster than an adult’s and children are not able to dissipate heat as efficiently as adults, every minute counts when a child is trapped in a hot vehicle.

GM and SAFE KIDS tips

Never leave a child unattended in a motor vehicle, even with a window slightly open.
If you see a small child who is unattended in a motor vehicle and in need of help, contact emergency services.
Always lock your vehicle – especially at home – and keep keys out of children’s reach.
Make sure all children leave the vehicle upon arrival at a destination. Be especially careful if transporting children on a specific day or time is not part of your normal routine. In the case of infants that may be sleeping, get into the habit of placing your purse or briefcase on the floor of the rear seat near where the child is seated to make sure you have to go into the rear seat before leaving the vehicle.
Teach children not to play in, on or around vehicles.
Watch children closely around vehicles, especially when loading and unloading.