Heatstroke is a real thing that affects both the old and young alike, but children are most likely to suffer from heatstroke. In the summer times, parents are normally busier because the children are on holidays and they must keep up with errands as well as take care of the children. It is important to remain engaged and alert when transporting children during the summer to prevent heat-related injury and loss of life. Since July 31st is National Heatstroke Prevention day we thought a post about how to prevent heatstroke in cars.
Look before you lock– Even if you didn’t bring the kids with you on an errand you should always good around just in case someone was hiding out. Look front to back and under the seats before you walk away. If your car has broken down on the road do not leave your child in the car while you go get help, you can either take them with you or call out a mobile tyre-fitting crew and they’ll get you on your way.
Caregivers – If someone else is looking after your child for the day you should call to check in from time to time just to make sure everyone is fine and accounted for.
Remember – If you are traveling with children in the car, try putting your purse or phone or wallet in the back seat or on the ground. If your child happens to be sleeping you might forget you brought them with you on this errand, if you left something in the back of the car you will be forced to look back to get it and remind yourself of who’s in the car.
Unattended children – You should never leave children unattended in the car, even if the windows are lowered slightly or the air condition is on and especially if the engine is running. Children will play with anything that attracts their attention and this can have disastrous consequences.
Trunk – You should always make sure that your car door and trunk are properly locked, if a child is missing the first place you should check is the vehicles and their trunks.
Educate – You should educate your child or children on the dangers of playing and hiding in cars, make them understand that for their own safety they should stay away from cars unless accompanied by an adult.
Passersby – Finally, if you happen to be walking past a car and see a child or children alone first you should try to find the parent or caregiver not forgetting to ask someone to stay with the children. If you can find a parent or caregiver the next option would be to call your local emergency service and wait for them. If the children happen to be in distress you can use whatever means to get the out and cool as soon as possible.
There are just some steps to preventing heat strokes in cars, you should always be aware as children are unpredictable. A lot of children die from heatstroke in cars and we hope that through public education we can make more people aware of the dangers involved.