Tip of the Week

Look Before You Lock NHTSA National Campaign

With summer fast approaching and temperatures heating up across the nation the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is once again warning parents and caregivers of young children to be mindful that it doesn't take long for a child to die of heatstroke if left unattended in a parked car.

It doesn't take much to lose a child to heatstroke. When outside temperatures are in the low 80's, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach deadly levels in only 10 minutes, even with a window rolled down two inches. Children's bodies in particular overheat easily, and infants and children under four years old are at the greatest risk for heatrelated illness.

Heatstroke death and injuries often occur after a child gets into an unlocked vehicle to play without a parent or caregiver's knowledge. Other incidents can occur when a parent or caregiver who is not used to transporting a child as part of their daily routine inadvertently forgets a sleeping infant in a rear-facing seat in the back of the vehicle. 

NHTSA, Safe Kids, and its safety partners urge parents and caregivers to take the following precautions to prevent heatstroke incidents from occurring:

 Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle – even if the windows are partially open

or the engine is running and the air conditioning is on;

 Make a habit of looking in the vehicle – front and back – before locking the door and

walking away;

 Ask the childcare provider to call if the child doesn't show up for care as expected;

 Do things that serve as a reminder that a child is in the vehicle, such as placing a

purse or briefcase in the back seat to ensure no child is accidentally left in the

vehicle, or writing a note or using a stuffed animal placed in the driver's view to

indicate a child is in the car seat; and

 Teach children that a vehicle is not a play area and store keys out of a child's reach.

In addition, community members who see a child alone in a hot vehicle should immediately call 911 or the local emergency number. A child in distress due to heat should be removed from the vehicle as quickly as possible and rapidly cooled.

To learn more about NHTSA's "Where's Baby? Look before you lock." campaign, visit

www.SaferCar.gov/heatstroke.