Doctors, police urge safety as hot car deaths rise in summer

With summer temperatures soaring, Georgia doctors and law enforcement are reminding families that leaving a child in a hot car can quickly turn deadly.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – As summer temperatures rise and families are on the move, safety officials are urging parents not to forget their most precious passengers: their children in the backseat.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 37 children die each year in the U.S. from heatstroke after being left in a hot car. So before you get out, make sure to turn around and check that back seat.

Dr. Ali Kamran, Medical Director of the Medical Department at Piedmont Macon, says never leave your children or pets alone in hot environments.

“Obviously with children and pets, they’re unable to unlock the doors, break down windows or move to a cooler area,” Kamran said. “So, it becomes dangerous and life-threatening. You should never leave them in the car. The problem being they’re going to get heated very quickly, they’re not going to be able to call for help. And with heat injury, that can progress quickly within minutes.”

He says don’t ignore when a child is in danger.

“Unfortunately, if you’re a bystander and you see something, the first thing is evaluate the child from the car as quickly as possible,” Kamran said. “The next step is to get them to a cool, shaded area. Get them down to the ground, in a shaded area which gets the blood flowing.”

Warner Robins Sergeant Christopher Fussell says by the Georgia Good Samaritan law, a citizen can intervene.

“In the sense of breaking a window, if a child is in danger,” he said. “My suggestion would be call 911, get a description of the car and stand with the child until first responders get there.”

Dr. Kamran says the heat can have a negative impact on the child’s body.

“So, when it is disturbed, if you’re in a hot environment, you’re not able to cool off,” Kamran said .”And what happens is after a certain degree hits, your internal organs start to have dysfunction and that can lead to very severe symptoms such as cardiovascular collapse, heatstroke, and their body just can’t compensate for it, and that can lead to death.”

Sergeant Fussell gives this piece of advice:

“Don’t leave your children in the car,” he said. “Take them with you. Or leave them with a family member, friend or somewhere. Leaving them by themselves in a car, in the world we live in, is a dangerous situation all the way around.”

Sergeant Fussell tells us if a child is left in a hot car, that parent or guardian can be charged with cruelty to children.