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Safety First!

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"Children are our greatest treasure. They are our future." - Nelson Mandela

Keeping kids safe is every parents goal. Many dangers lurk around the home. We aim to help Kids & Cars Educate Parents about the dangers of leaving children unattended around motor vehicles.

Think safety! Look before you lock!

Every year at least 1,747 people are killed and another 841,000 are injured in nontraffic incidents according to the Not-in-Traffic Surveillance (NiTS) 2007 report.* ‘Nontraffic’ meaning anything that happens off of public roads or highways, generally in parking lots or driveways.

Here are the major “dangers” involving cars and other motorized vehicles:

Backovers
Frontovers
Heat Stroke
Power Windows
Trunk Entrapment
Underage Drivers
Vehicles Set In Motion
Other Dangers

Download the Safety Checklist!

There are so many ways children can be injured or killed in or around motor vehicles. We have created a very dangerous environment for our children and it is imperative that we put in place mechanisms to keep them safe as they are unable to do that for themselves.

According to KidsAndCars.org, 1,000 children have died in hot cars nationwide since 1990. Even the best of parents or caregivers can unknowingly leave a sleeping baby in a car; and the end result can be injury or even death.

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU SEE A CHILD OR PET ALONE IN A VEHICLE?

KidsAndCars.org recommends children never be left alone in a vehicle, not even for a minute!
An average of 38 children dies in hot cars each year.

KidsAndCars.org is asking for your help in being prepared to take action to save lives. If you or a friend see a child or animal alone in a car; get involved.

Protecting children is everyone’s business.

Here’s What Should Be Done:

  • Dial 911 immediately. Calmly state the location and description of the vehicle.
  • If you observe the child or pet is unresponsive or appears in distress, act quickly and carefully:
    • Remove them from the vehicle by any means necessary*
    • Take them to a cooler location (somewhere with Air Conditioning or shade if AC is unavailable)
    • Remove any clothing from the child to let the heat escape from their body
    • Use cool water or wet rags to cool the skin, or carefully immerse in cool water (not in an ice bath)
  • If the child or pet is awake and responsive and not in distress you must:
    • Stay present until help arrives on the scene.
    • Ask a third party to attempt to locate the driver. Consider asking Security, or a Store Manager to page them.

Warning Signs of Heatstroke:

  • Hot, flush, or red
  • Slow, weak pulse or strong, rapid pulse
  • Lethargy, confusion, or strange behavior
  • Nausea
  • No sweating

There is never a situation in which it is safe to a child alone in a car. Not even for a few minutes. Not even if the car is running.

Since KidsAndCars.org began tracking data, over 900 children have died from heatstroke inside vehicles. 2018 was the worst year in history with a total of 52 children that died in hot cars. Additionally, KidsAndCars.org documented 62 pets that died in hot cars in 2018, though many of these cases go undocumented so the number is likely much higher.

Safety first with Kids and Cars