Occupant Safety Resources
Hot Cars
Heatstroke Prevention Campaign | May 1–September 30
From May through September, we’re proud to join national efforts in raising awareness and promoting action through the Heatstroke Prevention Campaign. This initiative focuses on protecting children from the deadly risk of vehicular heatstroke—especially during the warmer months when the danger is at its peak.
We encourage families, caregivers, and community partners to share and use the newly released toolkit and resources designed to support outreach, education, and advocacy all summer long.
Access the toolkit here: Heatstroke: National Resources | CPS Board
Hot car deaths are a tragic and preventable issue affecting children left unattended in vehicles. Temperatures inside a parked car can rise rapidly, leading to life-threatening heat exposure in just a matter of minutes. It’s important for everyone to understand these tragedies can happen to anyone but are always preventable.
Children in Hot Cars: Free E-learning Course – Child Passenger Safety Learning Portal
Take a free online training course – complete it in about 10 minutes, the same amount of time it takes a car interior to heat up to dangerous temperatures.
When you’re done, you’ll have new knowledge and practical tools to help prevent child deaths in hot cars.
Understanding the Risks
- Rapid Temperature Increase: On a warm day, the temperature inside a parked vehicle can rise significantly higher than the outside temperature. In just 10 minutes, it can increase by 20 degrees Fahrenheit or more, creating dangerously hot conditions inside the vehicle.
- Vulnerable Populations: Children, especially those under the age of four, are more susceptible to heat-related illnesses due to their smaller body size and limited ability to regulate body temperature. A child’s body temperature rises 3-5 times faster than an adult’s.
Prevention Tips
- Never Leave a Child Alone in a Vehicle: Always ensure that children are not left unattended in a car, even for a few minutes. Rolling windows down or parking in the shade does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle.
- Create Reminders: Use reminders to help prevent forgetting a child in the back seat. Place your phone, purse, wallet, briefcase or another item you need in the back seat next to the child. Alternatively, consider putting a note or stuffed animal in the front seat to remind you that a child is in the back seat.
- Establish a Routine: Make it a habit to check the back seat every time you exit the vehicle. Encourage caregivers or family members to adopt this practice as well.
- Use Technology: Consider using car seats or vehicles equipped with alarms or reminders that alert you if a child is left in the back seat.
- Educate Others: Inform family members, friends, and caregivers about the dangers of hot cars and the importance of never leaving children unattended in vehicles.
- Store Car Keys out of Reach: Keep car keys out of a child’s reach to prevent them from getting into the vehicle.
- Secure your Car: Always lock your car when not in use. Even if you don’t have a child, an unsecured vehicle can pose a danger to neighborhood kids.
- Not a Place to Play: Teach children that vehicles are not a safe place to play.
What to do if you see a child alone in a vehicle
If you encounter a child alone in a parked car and it appears to be overheated:
- Call 911: Immediately report the situation to emergency services.
- Assess the Child’s Conditions: If the child appears in distress, is unresponsive, or showing signs of heatstroke (such as confusion, vomiting, or rapid breathing) take action to help them.
- Consider Safe Intervention: If it is safe to do so and the child is in immediate danger, you may break the window to gain access.
PDF Resources - English
Hot Cars & Heatstroke Prevention
Unlocked Cars can Be Dangerous
Look Before You Lock
Never Leave a Child Alone in a Parked Car
Cars Get Hot on Cloudy Days
Children and Unlocked Cars do Not Mix
Hot Cars Poster
PDF Resources - Spanish
Hot Cars & Heatstroke Prevention
Children and Unlocked Cars do Not Mix
Never Leave a Child Alone in a Parked Car
PDF Resources - Somali
Hot Cars & Heatstroke Prevention
Children and Unlocked Cars do Not Mix
Never Leave a Child Alone in a Parked Car
Additional Resources
- KidsandCars.org: Preventing Hot Car Deaths
- NHTSA Hot Cars Information
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Heatstroke in Children
- NoHeatStroke: Hot Car Death Statistics
- SafeKids Worldwide: Heatstroke
- Safety Connection: Heatstroke
Disclaimer:
The information and materials found on this website are intended for reference and education. To ensure all passengers are using vehicle restraint systems correctly, please consult with a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, as well as your vehicle’s owner’s manual and your child restraint owner’s manual.