POLK COUNTY, Fla. — An 18-month-old Lakeland girl is the 10th hot car death in the U.S. this year, according to Kids and Car Safety. Data compiled by the nonprofit shows Florida has the most hot car deaths of any state, with five children losing their lives. Alabama, New York, Washington, Texas, and Mississippi have each had one child die in a hot car so far in 2023.
“As a safety advocate, I’m frustrated. We’ve been working for decades to prevent these tragedies that just continue to happen,” said Amber Rollins, director of Kids and Car Safety. “As a mother, I’m heartbroken.”
The U.S. Child Hot Car Death Data Analysis from the Kids and Car Safety National Database shows Florida is second only to Texas in hot car deaths, with 107 lives lost from 1990 to 2021.
“Hot car tragedies can happen to anybody, and they happen to people of all different walks of life, all different socioeconomic statuses, education levels. They happen to the infinitely organized type-A people, as well as the scatterbrained, disorganized type people,” Rollins said.
In 2021, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Part of the act calls for cars to come standard with technology that allows for an audio and visual reminder alert to check the backseat. Rollins said it’s a step in the right direction, but it’s not enough.
She told Spectrum News that Kids and Car Safety has already tracked four child deaths in vehicles with that technology since it started appearing in cars in 2017. The alert is triggered when a back door is opened before driving.
“It doesn’t know if that something is a bag of chips or a child,” said Rollins. “So, anytime you open that back door before you drive somewhere, you’re going to get the alert. This is problematic because it’s going to lead to a ton of false alarms, and false alarms lead to alert fatigue. People stop listening.”
Rollins said advocates would like to see occupant detection systems become standard, like what is found in certain models of Kia and Hyundai cars.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated it has started the rule-making process to create a requirement that would lead to all cars having an audio and visual alert that could also be combined with a touch alert. A spokesperson said the agency also plans to conduct studies on retrofitting older cars with rear seat alerts and that they’re testing new systems as they become available.
Rollins suggests parents open a rear car door every time they park to get in the habit of checking the backseat. They can also leave a stuffed animal in the back that gets moved to the front passenger seat when their child is in the car. Other safety tips:
Make sure your child is never left alone in a car.
Ask your childcare provider to call you right away if your child hasn’t arrived as scheduled.
Clearly announce and confirm who is getting each child out of the vehicle.
Kids and Car Safety stated it’s also important to make sure children can’t get into a parked car since 26% of deaths are related to a child getting into a vehicle on their own.
Keep vehicles always locked, especially in the garage or driveway. Ask neighbors and visitors to do the same.
Never leave car keys within reach of children.
Use childproofing knob covers and door alarms to prevent children from exiting your home unnoticed.
Teach children to honk the horn or turn on hazard lights if they become stuck inside a car.
If a child is missing, immediately check the inside, floorboards, and trunk of all vehicles in the area carefully, even if they’re locked.