The temperatures are climbing throughout North Dakota. When it’s hot outside, it’s even hotter inside a car.

In just 10 minutes, the heat inside a car can become deadly. Never leave your children (or your pets!) unattended in a vehicle — even if the windows are partially open or the engine is running, and the air conditioning is on.

• In 2020, 24 children died of vehicular heatstroke in the United States.
• A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s.
• When a child is left in a hot vehicle they could die within minutes.

Prevent Hot Car Deaths

1. Make it a habit to check your entire vehicle — front and back — before locking the door and walking away. Park, look, lock, or always ask, “Where’s baby?”
2. Ask your childcare provider to call if your child doesn’t show up for care as expected.
3. Place a personal item like a purse or briefcase in the back seat, as a reminder to look before you lock. Write a note or place a stuffed animal in the passenger’s seat to remind you that a child is in the back seat.
4. Store car keys out of a child’s reach and teach children that a vehicle is not a play area.

Act Fast. Save a Life.

If you see a child alone in a locked car, get them out immediately and call 911. A child in distress due to heat should be removed from the vehicle as quickly as possible and rapidly cooled.