An average of 37 children in the United States die each year from heatstroke after being left in a hot car. Approximately half of all fatal accidents occur when children are accidentally left in the car. Child safety advocates have been working for decades to lower this statistic. Jan Null is a meteorologist and adjunct professor of meteorology at San Jose State University. In 2001, Null began investigating how quickly the temperature inside a parked car changes on a warm, sunny day. “The amount of temperature increase for the first 10 minutes, 30 minutes or one hour was the same whether you started at 72 degrees or 96 degrees,” Null said. In Northern California, a 100 degree day can make being in a parked car extremely uncomfortable within seconds. The potential risk of heat stroke is obvious. Null said the risk of vehicle-related heat illness can be much greater on mild days with temperatures in the 80s, when that risk is simply not considered a top priority. According to research data from 2001, on a day with an air temperature of 80 degrees, the internal temperature of a car can reach 100 degrees in just 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, it could be 114 degrees inside your car. After an hour, the temperature can reach 134 degrees. That's why caretakers should make it a year-round habit to check the backseat, Null said. “In the child safety community, 'no one minute' is like a watchword,” Null said. Breaking the windows is often considered an easy solution to keeping the temperature inside your car more comfortable. But according to Null's research, it only lowers the internal temperature by a few degrees, “not so much that it affects survival,” Null said. Child safety advocates recommend that parents or guardians be physically reminded to check the back seat. For example, a stuffed animal stays in the car seat when the child is not present, but moves to the passenger seat when the child is in the car. Null also suggests leaving things like your wallet and cell phone in the back seat. These are usually the first things drivers pick up when they get out of the car. Efforts have been made to reduce child vehicle fatalities through policy changes. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act of 2021 requires new cars to include warning sensors that remind drivers to check the back seat. “Every life saved is a great thing, and the goal is to be able to save lives,” Nuru said, adding that educating people and talking about this issue during this time can make an impact sooner. he added.
An average of 37 children in the United States die from heatstroke each year after being left in a hot car. Approximately half of all fatal accidents occur when children are accidentally left in the car.
Child safety advocates have been working for decades to lower this statistic.
Jan Null is a meteorologist and adjunct professor of meteorology at San Jose State University. In 2001, Null began investigating how quickly the temperature inside a parked car changes on a warm, sunny day.
“The amount of temperature increase in the first 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or hour was the same whether we started at 72 degrees or 96 degrees,” Null says.
In Northern California, a 100 degree day can make being in a parked car extremely uncomfortable within seconds. The potential risk of heat stroke is obvious.
Null said the risk of vehicle-related heat illness can be much greater on mild days with temperatures in the 80s, when that risk is simply not considered a top priority.
According to research data from 2001, on an 80-degree day, a car's internal temperature can reach 100 degrees in just 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, it could be 114 degrees inside your car. After an hour, the temperature can reach 134 degrees.
That's why custodians should get into the habit of checking the backseat all year round, Nuru said.
“In the child safety community, 'no one minute' is like a watchword,” Null said.
Breaking the windows is often considered an easy solution to keeping the temperature inside your car more comfortable. However, according to Null's research, this only lowers indoor temperatures by 2 to 3 degrees.
“It's not large enough to affect survival rates,” Null said.
Child safety advocates recommend that parents or guardians be physically reminded to check the back seat. For example, a stuffed animal stays in the car seat when the child is not present, but moves to the passenger seat when the child is in the car. Null also recommends leaving things like your wallet and cell phone in the back seat, since these are the first things drivers grab when they get out of the car.
Efforts have been made to reduce child car fatalities through policy changes. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act of 2021 requires new cars to include warning sensors that remind drivers to check the back seat.
“Every life saved is a great thing, and the goal is to be able to save lives,” Nuru said, adding that educating people and talking about the issue during this time can make an impact sooner. he added.