Southern Nevada is seeing temperatures soar over 100 degrees, and Intermountain Health safety experts are urging drivers to never leave a child in a vehicle – even for a minute. Intermountain is also offering free tools to help drivers prevent injury or even death from a child overheating in a hot car.
“We want everyone to ‘Stop. Look. Lock.’ before leaving the vehicle to prevent accidental injury or death to a child,” said Michelle Jamison, children’s health program manager with Intermountain Children’s Health. “The inside of your vehicle can heat up very quickly. In just 10 minutes, a car can heat up by 20 degrees and become deadly. Drivers must be vigilant and use visual aids and tools this summer to prevent tragedy.”
The Intermountain Children’s Health team is offering free “Forget Me Not” window clings to help drivers remember a child is in the car. A vehicle escape tool also will be given to first responder teams in Clark County this summer, to distribute while supplies last.
Every year, nearly 40 children across the country die after being left in a hot vehicle. In Nevada, 14 children have died in hot vehicles between 1998 and 2022, and others have suffered heatstroke and other injuries in close calls.
Safe Kids Clark County have also been working to address heat safety with kids and cars and teamed up with Findlay Auto Group to show the dangers. Together they have used a temperature device to educate the public on how the outside temperature does not show what the reality is on the inside. For example, while the temperature in the morning could be just 87 degrees in the sun, the inside of the car could be at a blistering, and potentially lethal, 147 degrees and climbing.
“These kinds of tragedies are 100 percent preventable,” said Erin Breen, Board President of Safe Kids Clark County. “That’s why we’re calling on everyone to work together to help protect kids from this very preventable tragedy. Whether you are a parent or caregiver, police officer, EMS provider, or just a concerned bystander, you can help save lives.”
Hot car tragedies can happen to anyone. They can occur when a caretaker forgets a child is in the car. This can be due to fatigue or a change of routine – common for families during summer break and vacations – that push a person’s brain into autopilot, making it easier to forget.
A child’s body temperature can increase three to five times faster than an adult’s body temperature. Cracking a window has very little effect on the temperature inside the car.
“It only takes a few minutes for danger to begin to set in for a child’s body, especially for an infant,” said Dr. Agatha Formoso, Intermountain Health Pediatric Physician. “Heatstroke begins when a child’s core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees, and a child can actually die when their core body temperature reaches 107 degrees.”
Additionally, 1 in 4 hot car deaths happen when an unattended child gains access to a vehicle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“If you see something, say something,” said State Trooper Shawn Haggstrom, PIO for Nevada State Police Highway Patrol Division. “If you see a child or a pet unattended in a vehicle, call 911 immediately. Slow down, buckle up and always check your vehicle prior to exiting. So, both you and your loved ones can enjoy this wonderful summer ahead.”
Here are some ways to prevent hot car injuries from Intermountain Children’s Health Team and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
- “Stop. Look. Lock.” when parking a vehicle.
- Forget-Me-Not / Spot the Tot window clings are available from Intermountain Community Health Children’s Health by request, while supplies last, by emailing PCHHOTDL@imail.orgwith your name, mailing address, and desired quantity (maximum 10 per person).
These two-sided window clings go on the driver’s door window where they can be seen. They remind drivers to “Spot the Tot” by walking around the vehicle and checking for kids before backing out. Inside the vehicle, the sticker states “Forget Me Not,” which is a reminder to check the back seats before getting out of the vehicle.
- Resqmekeychain car escape tools will be given to first responder teams in Clark County this summer, to distribute while supplies last. The tool comes with a keychain and visor clip, which can be quickly removed and used to break a window or cut a seatbelt to free a child.
Here are some additional tips from experts to prevent hot-car injuries:
- Never leave your child alone in a vehicle – even for a few minutes. It’s never a guarantee you will be right back.
- Make it a habit to always look in the back seats before getting out of your vehicle.
- Keep vehicles locked and keys out of the reach of children. Curious children can get into unlocked vehicles and then often can’t get themselves out.
- Keep a visual reminder that a child is with you, like a stuffed animal or diaper bag in the seat next to you.
- Place something you’ll need when you arrive at your destination, like your phone, bag, or cell phone in the back seat. That way, when you reach for the item, you’ll likely see the child.
For more information about child well-being, safety and injury prevention tips, visit primarychildrens.org/safety. Learn more about Intermountain and find providers at intermountainnv.org.
About Intermountain Health
Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a not-for-profit system of 34 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.
