Caution Houston drivers: Don’t leave children in hot cars

It’s that time of year again, when the sun is high in the sky and beating down on Houston area residents.  While many folks are preparing for summer vacation or just looking for ways to beat the heat, Texas parents and caregivers need to be reminded about the dangers that hot cars pose to children.

Every year children die in hot cars because they are forgotten there by their parents or because they snuck into the car without their caregivers knowing, and they can’t get back out.  This problem is serious – last year 33 kids died of hyperthermia (becoming too hot) when they were left alone in a hot vehicle.

So far this year, 17 kids have died this way – and five of those deaths have been in Texas.  Just last week a 2 year old was seriously injured in Baytown when her auto mechanic father left her in the hot car while he did work.  When he remembered that she was in the car, he rushed to get her – and found her unresponsive.

Tip for remembering a child in the backseat

Police recommend that if you drive with small kids in the backseat, put an item you need at your destination (your purse, a briefcase, important papers) right next to the carseat.  That way you’ll have to go to the backseat to get that important item, and you won’t forget your child.

If you see a child alone in a hot car, don’t hesitate to call 911.  In Texas it is illegal to leave a child alone in a hot car, and you might be saving their life.