According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 39 children died of heatstroke in vehicles in 2024, an increase of 35% over 2023. Over 1,000 have died in the last 25 years.
Children are extremely susceptible to heatstroke.
Here are some of their prevention tips:
1. Never leave a child in a vehicle unattended for any length of time. Rolling windows down or parking in the shade does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle.
2. Make it a habit to check your entire vehicle — especially the back seat — before locking the doors and walking away. Over 50% of pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths are a result of a parent or caregiver forgetting a child in a car.
3. Ask your childcare provider to call if your child doesn’t show up for care as expected.
4. Place a personal item like a purse or briefcase in the back seat, as another 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.
5. Store car keys and fobs out of a child’s reach and teach children that a vehicle is not a play area.
This NHTSA video shows how easily this dangerous situation can occur.
If you observe a child alone in a locked car, call 911 immediately.
Jeff Kirchman
University Apartments Community Police Officer
608-264-2677 | jkirchman@wisc.edu
University Apartments Community Center, Room 131