Washington, U.S.A. — A five-month-old boy from Tennessee was the eighth child to die from heatstroke in a vehicle in the past days, bringing this year’s total deaths to 23. Safe Kids Worldwide is issuing a national alert to stop these heartbreaking and entirely preventable tragedies.

“Whether you are a parent, caregiver or just a concerned bystander, you can help save lives,” says Kate Carr, President and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. “We are urging everyone to ACT: Avoid hyperthermia-related deaths by never leaving your child alone in a car and always locking doors and trunks; create reminders and habits for you and your child’s caregivers to ensure you don’t forget your child; and Take action if you see a child unattended in a vehicle by immediately calling 911.”

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this past July was the hottest month on record for the nation. With more hot weather to come and the record number of deaths in the first week of August, it’s critical to get the word out. Even on a mild day, temperatures inside a car can rise nearly 20 degrees in 10 minutes. Leaving a window slightly open has no effect on the temperatures inside a car.

Every year, children die of heatstroke, also known as hyperthermia, while unattended in vehicles. Safe Kids warns that these deaths can happen anytime, anywhere. In partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Safe Kids and its network of 600 coalitions are focused on raising awareness to stop these needless deaths.

“More than 550 children have died this way since 1998,” said Carr. “Most people don’t think this could possibly happen to them, yet it does.”

Heat stroke happens when the body cannot cool itself fast enough and the core temperature rises to dangerous levels. Children’s bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult’s.

“Kids react differently to heat than adults,” says Dr. Leticia Ryan of Children’s National Medical Center, Emergency Medicine and Trauma Services. “Infants and young children haven’t fully developed the internal systems regulating body temperature, putting them at much greater risk for organ failure and death when exposed to excessive heat. We see this all too often in the emergency room, and it’s absolutely devastating.”

Since 1998, more than half of fatalities occurred when a distracted caregiver forgot their child was in the car. Thirty percent occurred when a child was playing in an unattended vehicle and became trapped and seventeen percent were intentionally left.

Together, we can cut down the number of deaths and near-misses by remembering to ACT. Avoid heat stroke-related injury and death by:

• Never leaving your child alone in the car, even for a minute.
• Consistently locking unattended vehicle doors and trunks.
• Create reminders and habits that give you and your child’s caregiver a safety net:
• Establish a peace-of-mind plan. When you drop off your child, make a habit of calling or texting all other caregivers, so all of you know where your child is at all times.
• Place a purse, briefcase, gym bag, cell phone or an item that is needed at your next stop in a back seat.
• Set the alarm on your cell phone or computer calendar as a reminder to drop your child off at childcare.
• Take action if you see an unattended child in a vehicle:
• Dial 911 immediately and follow the instructions that emergency personnel provide – they are trained to determine if a child is in danger.

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Chicago, U.S.A. – The start of summer also marks the beginning of the “100 Deadliest Days for Teens”— the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day that is traditionally the deadliest for teen drivers. Automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, and more teens are killed on the road during summer than any other time of year.

But parents can do more than just stand by and worry this summer; when it comes to safe driving, parents have more influence over their teens’ behavior than they might expect, say experts featured on BeSmartBeWell.com/Teen-Driving in a series of new videos produced by the health and wellness website.

“Parents play a key role in preventing teen crashes. When asked whose opinions they listen to, teens most often said their parents,” says Erin Sauber-Schatz, Ph.D., M.P.H., of the CDC and one of the experts featured on BeSmartBeWell.com/Teen-Driving.

Parents can turn to BeSmartBeWell.com, where experts and real-life parents provide practical advice for starting conversations about safe driving and getting teens the driving experience they need to be safe behind the wheel.

Be clear and be involved

Teens who think their parents will be upset with them if they engage in risky driving are less likely to take risks when behind the wheel. That is why it’s important for parents to communicate their expectations for safe driving clearly.

Tanya, a mom featured on BeSmartBeWell.com/Teen-Driving, has been very clear with her teen daughter about driving rules and what happens when the rules are violated.

“It’s important to let her know the consequences. If she doesn’t follow through, she’ll know what I expect from her,” Tanya says. “She’ll know what she’s supposed to do, what’s wrong and what’s right.” Watch Tanya and her daughter negotiate their family’s rules of the road.

Tanya also makes sure Daija gets lots of supervised driving practice, essential for keeping teens safe behind the wheel. “You should be driving with your teen as much as possible,” says Flaura Winston, M.D., director of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and one of the experts featured on BeSmartBeWell.com/Teen-Driving. “The more hours the better, and in a variety of conditions.”

Not sure how to begin?

A parent-teen driver agreement can help parents start a conversation about safe driving. A teen driver agreement lists driving rules – like always wear a seat belt, never text and drive, etc. – and spells out consequences for violating those rules.

Negotiating the terms of the agreement together helps parents communicate their expectations, and garners teen buy-in, says the CDC’s Sauber-Schatz in a video on BeSmartBeWell.com/Teen-Driving. ”It lets the teens and parents work together to set up the consequences.”

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Most parents report that they typically require their child to use a life-saving booster seat, but more than 30 percent said they do not enforce this rule when their child is riding with another driver.

The study, conducted by child health experts at University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, also revealed that 45 percent of parents do not require their kids to use a booster when driving other children who do not have one.

“The majority of parents reported that their children between the ages of four and eight use a safety seat when riding in the family car,” says Michelle Macy, M.D., M.S., a clinical lecturer of emergency medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and a pediatrician at U-M C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. “However, it’s alarming to know that close to 70 percent of parents carpool, and when they do, they’re often failing to use life-saving booster seats.”

Researchers believe practical barriers, including limited vehicle space and difficulties making arrangements with other drivers, lead parents to abandon safety seats when carpooling.

Most state laws require children to use a booster seat, many until children are 8 years old. National recommendations encourage the use of booster seats until a child reaches 57 inches, which is the average height of an 11-year-old.

Placing a child in an adult seat belt prematurely can cause shoulder and lap belts to fit improperly, negating the life-saving benefits of seatbelts.  Click here to see the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s recommendations as to how seat belts should fit.

“Therefore, parents who do not consistently use booster seats for kids who are shorter than 57 inches tall are placing children at greater risk of injury,” says Macy. “Parents need to understand the importance of using a booster seat for every child who does not fit properly in an adult seat belt on every trip.”

Study authors suggest that social norms may be set by state booster seat laws, as parents are motivated to follow guidelines set forth by law.  State booster seat laws were associated with higher safety seat use, regardless of carpooling, even though half of parents surveyed admit to not knowing the age cited in their state booster seat law and another 20 percent guessed incorrectly.

“According to current recommendations most children should be using booster seats beyond the age cited in state laws.  As many parents may not even be aware of current booster seat recommendations, pediatricians should make it a priority to share this vital information with them,” says Macy.

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