General Information

A Conversation About Finding Children Locked In Hot Cars

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We meet as a team every week to connect and work on our business processes. In our meeting this morning, the conversation turned to a recent story about two adults leaving a baby in a locked car in Merriam, Kansas. (Click here for coverage from ABC News) It’s a terrifying story that makes you wonder how in the world anyone could actually do something like that. (The child was rescued by bystanders who took action!)

Fake Child in Hot CarDid you know?

Since 1998, the average number of child vehicular heatstroke deaths every year is 38. (See the study here, the data is current as of July 18, 2015)

Media reports about the 637 child vehicular heatstroke deaths from 1998-2014 yielded the following statistics:
53% – Child forgotten by caregiver (parent, babysitter, etc.)
29% – Child playing in an unattended vehicle
17% – Child intentionally left in vehicle by an adult
1% – Circumstances unknown

What would you do?

We asked our team, “what would you do if you found a baby or child locked in a hot car?” The responses were varied, but all focused on making sure the child was safe, no matter what had to be done. Here’s a great article that talks about what to do if you find a child locked in a hot car.

ResQMe Safety HammerGetting a child out of a locked car would require breaking the glass. We talked about how hard it can be to break a car window, even if you have a tire iron or a big rock.

Did you know there are automotive safety hammers that are made specifically for this situation? Many models have integrated seat belt cutters, usually built into the handle of the safety hammer.

Get a safety hammer for your car!

Here’s a link to a highly rated safety hammer on Amazon.com called the ResQMe. You can buy two for $17.95 and get free shipping if your total order is more than $35. Many households have at least two cars.  It might be a good idea to put a safety hammer in the glove box of all your vehicles.

Let us know what you think! Have you ever seen a child locked in a car and no parents around? Our hope is that this post will help you prepare yourself mentally to do the right thing in case you ever do.