A Hot Car Can Be Deadly: Keep Kids and Pets Safe During Heat Wave

How often does this happen?

According to KidsandCars.org, babies dying in hot cars happens about 38 times per year across the United States. The deaths in Virginia and Maryland are the 17th and 18th so far in 2013 in the United States. The highest number of heat-related vehicle deaths in the United States occurred in 2010—one of the hottest summers on record in the United States.

In 2009, Washington Post columnist Gene Weingarten wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning story attempting to answer how parents can forget their own children in  cars.

“What kind of person forgets a baby?,” Weingarten asked. “The wealthy do, it turns out. And the poor, and the middle class. Parents of all ages and ethnicities do it. Mothers are just as likely to do it as fathers. It happens to the chronically absent-minded and to the fanatically organized, to the college-educated and to the marginally literate. In the last 10 years, it has happened to a dentist. A postal clerk. A social worker. A police officer. … A Protestant clergyman. … An assistant principal. It happened to a mental health counselor, a college professor and a pizza chef. It happened to a pediatrician. It happened to a rocket scientist.”

When outside temperatures are in the 60s, the temperature inside a parked car can rise to more than 110 degrees, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Temperatures can rise 20 degrees in just 10 minutes inside a car.

“Even with a window rolled down two inches, if the outside temperature is in the low 80s° Fahrenheit, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach deadly levels in only 10 minutes,” the NHTSA reports. Further, children’s bodies do not regulate heat as well as adults. “In fact, when left in a hot vehicle, a young child's body temperature may increase three to five times as fast an adult. High body temperatures can cause permanent injury or even death.”

How not to forget: Reminders and tips

This tragic mistake can happen to even the best, most conscientious parents and guardians. Here are some tips that may help from KidsandCars.org:

• Put your purse, briefcase or whatever you must take out of the car with you next to the child—not in the front seat with you.
• Situate a mirror in the backseat so you can see children easily who are still small enough to be in rear-facing child seats.
• “Look Before You Lock” – make it a habit of opening the back door and looking inside every single time you get out of your car, even if you think you’re sure you don’t have a child with you.
• Put a large stuffed animal in the child’s car seat when it’s not occupied, and move the stuffed animal to the front seat when the child is in the car seat. The stuffed animal will serve as a visual reminder in the front seat with you.
• Make sure your child’s daycare center or babysitter calls you if your child does not show up as scheduled.

Don't leave pets in hot cars, either

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) emphasizes that pets should never be left in parked vehicles on hot days. The temperature inside a car can rise to 120 degrees within a matter of minutes. Pets can suffer irreversible organ damage and death.

Whenever pets are outside they require shade and cool water. Protection from the heat is a must, according to the Humane Society. A dog house does not provide relief from the heat.

The Humane Society recommends limiting exercise on very hot days to early morning or evening hours. Owners should be particularly careful with pets with white-colored ears, that are more susceptible to skin cancer, and short-nosed pets that may have difficulty breathing.

Walking dogs on grass is also suggested, since asphalt can become very hot and can burn a dog’s paws.

Know the signs of heat stroke in your pet:

• Heavy panting
• Glazed eyes
• A rapid heartbeat
• Restlessness
• Excessive thirst
• Lethargy
• Fever
• Dizziness, lack of coordination
• Profuse salivation
• Vomiting
• A deep red or purple tongue
• Unconsciousness

In cases of heat stroke:

• Move the animal into the shade or an air-conditioned area.
• Apply ice packs or cold towels to her head, neck and chest or run cool (not cold) water over the pet.
• Let your pet drink small amounts of cool water or lick ice cubes.
• Take your pet directly to a veterinarian.

Source: Humane Society of the United States

Editor's note: DelRay, VA, Patch Editor Todd Richissin contributed to this story