The warm days and nights of Spring and Summer are upon us, which is a good time to remind everyone about the dangers of leaving children or pets in a locked vehicle. 
Each year, dozens of children and countless numbers of pets left in parked vehicles die from hyperthermia, which occurs when the body absorbs more heat than it can handle. Hyperthermia can occur even on a mild day with temperatures in the 70s. For example, when it is 72 °F outside, the temperature inside a car can heat up to 116 °F within an hour, and at 80 °F outside, the temperature inside a car can heat up to 99 °F within 10 minutes. Rolling down the windows or parking in the shade does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle.
The younger the child the more severe the effects because their bodies have not developed the ability to efficiently regulate its internal temperature.
Child Safety Recommendations
- NEVER leave a child in a vehicle unattended for any length of time.
- Make it a habit to check your entire vehicle – especially the back seat – before locking the doors and walking away. Be sure all occupants leave the vehicle when unloading. Don’t overlook sleeping babies.
- Keep a stuffed animal in the car seat and when the child is put in the seat place the animal in front with the driver. Or place your purse, briefcase, or cell phone in the back seat as a reminder that you have a child in the car.
- Teach children that vehicles are never to be used as a play area. If a child is missing, always check the pool first, and then the car, including the trunk.
- Always lock your car when you are not using it and ensure children do not have access to keys or remote entry devices. Even if you don’t have a child of your own, a child in the
neighborhood could get into your unlocked vehicle. - Teach children that if they cannot get out of the rear doors of the vehicle, try the front doors; and if that fails, honk the horn to get the attention of others.
- Have a plan that your childcare provider will call you if your child does not show up for school.
Act Fast. Save a Life.
Protecting children is everyone’s business. If you see a child alone in a car; get involved.
Don’t w
ait for the driver to return. Call 911 right away. The 911 operator can help give you instructions on how to care for the child.
If the child is not responsive or is in distress, immediately:
- Get them out of the car by any means necessary.
- Move them to a cooler environment (somewhere with AC or shade if AC is not available).
- Remove the child’s clothing to let the heat dissipate from their skin.
- Dampen them with cool water or wet rags, immerse them in cool water (not in an ice bath).
If the child is responsive and not in distress - Stay with them until help arrives.
Ask someone else if they can locate the driver. You might suggest they ask security or a store manager to page them.
Information provided by: No Heat Stroke, NHTSA - Child Safety, or Kids and Car Safety.
Pet Safety
Leaving pets in parked vehicles is never safe. But when the weather gets warmer, it can be deadly. High temperatures can cause irreparable organ damage and even death. Protecting animals from an unnecessary death is a problem we all can agree to prevent.
How to Help a Dog or Cat Left in a Hot Car
- - Take down the car’s make, model and license plate number.
- - If there are businesses nearby, notify their managers or security guards and ask them to make an announcement to find the vehicle’s owner. Many people are unaware of the danger of leaving pets in hot vehicles and will quickly return to their vehicle once they are alerted to the situation.
- - If the owner can’t be found, call the non-emergency number of the local police or animal control, and wait by the vehicle for them to arrive. In several states, good Samaritans can legally remove animals from vehicles under certain circumstances, so be sure to know the laws in your area and follow any steps required.
IL Statute (510 ILCS 70/7.1 – Humane Care for Animals Act states:
No owner or person shall confine any animal in a motor vehicle in such a manner that places it in a life or health threatening situation by exposure to a prolonged period of extreme heat or cold, without proper ventilation or other protection from such heat or cold. In order to protect the health and safety of an animal, an animal control officer, law enforcement officer, or Department investigator who has probable cause to believe that this Section is being violated shall have authority to enter such motor vehicle by any reasonable means under the circumstances after making a reasonable effort to locate the owner or other person responsible.
In addition, HEAT STRESS IS NOT THE ONLY DANGER YOUR PET FACES when left alone in a car. Many pets are stolen each year from unattended cars.
Pets often prefer to stay home, but if you must take your pet with you in your car, do so safely: Cats should ride in pet carriers, and dogs should ride in travel crates or wear a safety harness. When a pet travels, they should wear two ID tags – one with a home address and one with a destination address.
For more information on pet safety, visit: The Humane Society, Weather.com - Children, Pets and Vehicles, or American Veterinary Medical Association - Pets in Vehicles.
Remember, EVERYONE can help prevent hot vehicle deaths.