FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md.  –   Warm weather brings excitement and more frequent outdoor exploration. Unfortunately, it may also bring sorrow as pediatric vehicular heatstroke (PVH) deaths increase.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in the last 25 years, over 1000 children have succumbed to heatstroke in motor vehicles. As a leading cause of non-crash related vehicle fatalities among children, pediatric heatstroke most commonly occurs when a child is forgotten by a caregiver, left unattended even for a short time, or accidentally trapped inside an unlocked vehicle.  Tragically, a vehicle's internal temperature can spike by 19 degrees in just 10 minutes—even on a mild day—creating a deadly environment for children, whose body temperatures rise faster than adults.

Most PVH deaths occur in the months of May to September with unfortunate spikes in July and August. According to the National Safety Council and NoHeatStroke.org, on average there are 37 PVH deaths each year. So far this year,  there have been 12 deaths. Both Virginia and Maryland are among the top 20 states for pediatric vehicular heatstroke fatalities.

We can all play our part. As a parent, caregiver or bystander there are things we can do.

1. Educate- Teach children that vehicles are not play areas
2. Look before you lock- visually scan full interior of the vehicle before you lock it; Place something that you need at your destination in the back seat i.e. cell phone, id card, or backpack to remind you to look.
3. More reminders- Keep a large stuffed animal in your child’s car seat. When your child is in the seat, move the stuffed animal to the front passenger seat as a visible reminder. Use technology to set reminders to check the back seat prior to locking
4. Lock- Keep vehicles locked and store keys and fobs out of reach of children; even if you do not have children keep unoccupied vehicles locked, protect those in the community
5. Never leave them alone- Never leave a child alone in a vehicle for any reason; parking in shade or cracking windows does not significantly decrease the inside temperature of a vehicle 
6. System alerts- Establish a system with your childcare provider to receive a call if your child is unexpectedly absent.  Establish a confirmation system with your spouse or partner to ensure the child is dropped off
7. Extra precautions- Take extra precautions if there is a need to change routines and avoid distractions
8. Act immediately- If you observe a child alone in an unattended vehicle call 911 immediately and follow their directions

Let’s do our part to end pediatric heatstroke deaths related to any vehicle.