DHEC gives parents, caregivers tips on ‘hot car death’ prevention
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) - As summer begins, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control reminds parents and caregivers of lifesaving steps to help prevent pediatric vehicular heatstroke.
Pediatric vehicular heatstroke, also known as “hot car deaths”, can happen at any point of the year as temperatures on vehicles can reach life-threatening levels, state health department officials say.
They say children are in danger of suffering from hot car deaths as their bodies’ ability to maintain body temperatures is not as efficient as adults. They also say that children’s body temperature increases at a rate of 3 or 5 times faster than adults.
“A common misconception is parents don’t realize how quickly the temperature will rise in a parked vehicle,” Kevin Poore, program coordinator with DHEC’s division of injury and substance abuse prevention and director of Safe Kids South Carolina says. “A car can heat up nearly 20 degrees in 10 minutes, and cracking a window doesn’t help.”
State health department officials say since 1998 South Carolina has had 22 hot car deaths and in 2022 there were 33 deaths across the Unites States that impacted children.
To help parents and caregivers to never leave a child in a car the department is ing a Preventable Vehicular Heatstroke educational campaign and is giving “Look Before You Lock” materials to State Kids Coalition around South Carolina, a news release states.
State health department officials say the tags are meant to be worn on the wrist while driving and the bracelet will reattach to the harness only after the child is removed from the car.
If the caregiver walks away from the car with the tag still on the wrist then the tag will alert them that the child is still in the car, they say.
To prevent hot car deaths, the department says they want parents and caregivers to ACT:
- A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving a child alone in a car. Make sure to keep your car locked when you’re not inside of it, so kids don’t get into it on their own.
- C: Create reminders. Keep a stuffed animal or other memento in your child’s car seat when it’s empty and move it to the front seat as a visual reminder when your child is in the back seat. Or place and secure your phone, briefcase, or purse in the back seat when traveling with your child.
- T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. Emergency personnel want you to call. They are trained to respond to these situations. One call could save a life.
For more information on child heatstroke death prevention click here.
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