08/26/2026
As Summer temperatures continue to climb we want to take a moment to remind everyone to “LOOK BEFORE YOU LOCK”
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) urges all parents and caregivers to make sure they remember “Where’s Baby? Look Before You Lock.” Heatstroke in children can happen quickly, as their bodies are smaller, heat up faster, and are therefore more prone to the effects of extreme temperatures. Heatstroke fatalities can happen in vehicles parked in shaded areas and in temperatures as low as 57 degrees, even with the windows cracked.
Know the Facts
A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s. When a child is left in a vehicle, that child’s temperature can rise quickly—and the situation can quickly become dangerous.
Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees. Death occurs at a core body temperature of 107 or above.
In 2024, 39 children died of heatstroke in vehicles in the United States—up 35% from 2023.
Parents, Caregivers, Neighbors, Bystanders
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.
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.
Ask your childcare provider to call if your child doesn’t show up for care as expected.
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.
Store car keys and fobs out of a child’s reach and teach children that a vehicle is not a play area.
Always lock your car when you aren’t using it. Even if you don’t have a child of your own, a child in your neighborhood could get into your unlocked vehicle. Over 230 children have died from vehicular heatstroke since 1998 because they gained access to a vehicle and became trapped.
Act Fast. Save a Life.
If you see a child alone in a locked car, act immediately and call 911. A child in distress due to heat should be removed from the vehicle as quickly as possible and rapidly cooled.
Don’t Forget About Pets
Follow the same precautions when traveling with pets in a vehicle. Leave a reminder in the front seat so that you do not accidentally walk away from your car with a dog or cat trapped in the back seat. And don’t forget about pets or children left outside as temperatures rise. Make sure that any pet or child that is outside is supervised and has access to water. Even animals that are used to living outside can be susceptible to the dangers of hot weather.
