Just in the U.S. this year, there have been dozens of hot car deaths. Experts say whether you have kids or not, there's something we can all do to help keep them safe.
When the Moore family goes grocery shopping, no one get left behind. Two-year-old Eva and 6-year-old Allina are right by their parents' sides. Their mom, Tiana Moore, knows how hot a car can get.
"I've sat in the car for a few minutes waiting for my husband, and I'm sweating," said Moore.
At 6 p.m. on Friday an NBC Connecticut crew parked their own car and let the sun do the rest. At the time, it was 80 degrees outside, but in twenty minutes, the inside of the vehicle shot up to 100 degrees.
"Children's bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult's, and if it gets to about 104 degrees, their internal body temperature, that's when they suffer heat stroke and essentially their body starts to shut down," said Associate Director of the Injury Prevention Center at Connecticut Children's Medical Center Dr. Kevin Borrup.
Borrup says so far this year there have been 27 confirmed hot car deaths in the U.S. Last year there were 43. In those cases, Borrup says 55 percent of the time parents unintentionally left their kid in the car. Twenty-eight percent of the time the child climbed into an unlocked vehicle. Fifteen percent of the time parents knowingly left their kids in a vehicle.
Experts say you should never leave your kids in the car and that it's key to look before you lock. They also recommend that you lock your vehicles when they're not in use.
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"Children are attracted to cars, so if you have a car in your driveway, lock it," said Borrup. "When young children get inside a vehicle, they often can't find their way out of it."
Borrup says parents can also teach their kids to honk the horn if they get trapped in a car so that they can attract attention and get help. He adds that everyone can help play a role in keeping kids safe.
"If you're in a parking lot or on your street or you can see your neighbor's driveway, look in cars to see: is there a car seat there? Is there a child sitting in the car? And if you find a child in the car call 911, see if they're in distress or unresponsive, and do something if they are," said Borrup.
Some cars have reminders now to check the backseat, but not all do. Experts say you can leave your wallet or phone in the back seat as a reminder.
