Be Careful Out There: The Heat Is On

These past couple of weeks in southwest Kansas have been hot. I think there were only one or two days where highs in the upper 90s or in the 100s weren’t predicted during that time period. And with July just starting, the heat only promises to continue.

So I hope you’ll listen as I and others sound the warning to be careful out there.

Children and elderly people are at most risk for heat stroke and heat exhaustion, but it can happen to anyone. Drinking plenty of water, wearing sunscreen, hats and sunglasses, and staying inside during the heat of the day are just a few ways to avoid heat-related problems. A few others are listed here.

Another important reminder this summer: Do not leave your children in a vehicle for even a short time. I know it is a pain.

I went to get gas the other day after work and my nearly 3-year-old son was with me. The receipt wouldn’t print at the pump, so I had to go in to get it. I briefly considered leaving the windows down a little and leaving him in the car. I mean, how long could it take to get the printed receipt?

In the end, I decided to take him out of the car seat and bring him in the station with me. This was a big station, and a lot of trucks and cars were parked, so I really had no idea how long it would take. But I did know it was hot as heck outside and inside my vehicle. I decided it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Here’s more to back up that line of reasoning: An Associated Press story out today said 18 children have died after becoming stuck in hot vehicles since the beginning of the year, with eight reported deaths just since June 13.

From the AP story:

That’s the largest number of fatalities through the first half of a year since Jan Null, an adjunct professor of meteorology at San Francisco State University, began tracking the data in the late 1990s.

Government and safety experts are telling parents that they never should leave children in an unattended vehicle or allow kids to play in cars and trucks. Many of the recent cases have involved children who climbed inside an unlocked vehicle on a hot day and then couldn’t get out.

“These really are good parents who love these kids who make a mistake that turns out to be fatal,” said David Strickland, the administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The government’s highway safety agency issued a consumer advisory this week that included a warning for parents not to leave children unattended in or near a vehicle.

…

The deaths in June have caught the attention of safety advocates because July tends to be the most deadly month for children trapped in hot cars. With a week left in June, the number of deaths has topped the previous high of 17 fatalities from January to June 2009, according to Null’s data.

…

Children are particularly vulnerable because they have difficulty escaping on their own and their respiratory and circulatory systems can’t handle heat as well as adults.

Safety groups such as Kids and Cars and Safe Kids USA urge parents to check the back seat every time they exit the vehicle and to create a reminder system for themselves.

Some parents leave their cell phone or purse on the floor near the car seat to ensure they retrieve it along with the child. Others remind themselves by placing a stuffed animal in the car seat when the child isn’t using the seat and putting the toy in the front seat when the child is tucked in the car seat.

Links of Interest

Hyperthermia deaths of children in vehicles: http://ggweather.com/heat/index.htm

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: http://www.nhtsa.gov/

Kids and Cars: http://www.kidsandcars.org/

Safe Kids USA: http://www.safekids.org/

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