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Florida Leads Nation in Tragic Hot Car Deaths
23 Jul
Summary
- Florida leads the nation with five child hot-car deaths this year.
- Temperatures inside cars can become deadly quickly, even in mild weather.
- Responsible parents can accidentally forget children in vehicles, Kids and Car Safety states.
Florida has tragically recorded five child hot-car deaths this year, leading the nation in such fatalities. Recent incidents include a 17-month-old toddler found deceased on July 21 outside a Fort Myers church and school.
Safety advocates stress that a combination of factors creates dangerous conditions, and consistent habits are key to prevention. Interior vehicle temperatures can climb to deadly levels rapidly, even when outside temperatures are not extreme. Experts note that a child's core temperature can reach 104 degrees, leading to heatstroke, and death can occur at 107 degrees.
Kids and Car Safety reports that since 1990, nearly 1,200 children have died in the U.S. from heatstroke in vehicles, with an additional 7,500 surviving with injuries. An average of 37 children under 15 die annually from this cause. Alarmingly, in a majority of cases, these are loving, responsible parents who unknowingly left the child in the car, with about 45% of these children being en route to childcare.
