Chesterfield County Fire and EMS uses new tool to warn parents about hot car dangers
VENN
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — After last week’s extreme heat, temperatures have cooled slightly, but the danger of leaving a child in a hot car remains just as deadly.
Chesterfield County Fire and EMS is renewing its warning to families as the Fourth of July holiday approaches. The department is using a visual tool to demonstrate just how quickly a parked vehicle can turn deadly in the summer heat.
“As you see, it’s about 96 degrees outside on this nice summer day, and it’s already over 150 degrees inside that car,” said Lt. Chip Loving with Chesterfield Fire & EMS.
According to the nonprofit Kids and Car Safety, five children in the U.S. died last week alone after being left in hot vehicles. In Virginia, dozens of families have experienced similar tragedies in recent years. Officials say many of those cases stem from a simple mistake, a change in routine or a moment of forgetfulness.
“We don’t want folks running inside that grocery store and thinking it’s okay to just crack the windows, because it is getting very hot in your vehicles,” Loving said.
Data from No Heat Stroke shows more than half of all hot car deaths in the U.S. happen when a child is accidentally left behind.
Safety experts recommend placing an essential item, such as a phone, purse or shoe in the backseat to create a habit of checking before exiting the car.
Holiday weekends also tend to see a spike in hot car incidents.
“With the holiday weekend approaching, there could be a shift in what’s normal and your normal routines,” Loving said. “So we encourage everyone to be vigilant — checking the cars behind you, making sure that nobody is left in there.”
Parents are also urged to keep their vehicles locked at all times. In some cases, children have died after climbing into unattended vehicles and becoming trapped.
If you see a child alone in a vehicle, Chesterfield County Fire and EMS urges you to call 911 immediately. Virginia law protects good Samaritans who break into a vehicle to rescue a child in danger.
