UNDATED (WHTC-AM/FM) — With the weather (finally) warming up, Michigan State Police are cautioning people to avoid the danger of heatstroke.
The leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children is heatstroke, according to Safe Kids Worldwide. Nationally, 44 children — including three in Michigan — died from heatstroke in 2013 after being accidentally left in parked vehicles.
Even on mild days, said Michigan State Police Trooper Martin Miller, temperatures in cars can rise as much as 20 degrees in a matter of minutes. He encourages people to keep bottled water in their cars to help keep hydrated.
“When it comes to kids — we’ve got to take an extra second and make sure everything is OK with them,” Miller said, recalling one case when a frazzled dad left his child in the car after a very long day at work.
Because a small child’s body heats up three to five times faster than an adult’s, he said, they are more susceptible to heatstroke. He advises parents and caregivers to use A-C- T as a safety reminder:
A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death. Never leave a a child alone in a car, not even for a quick run into a store for a gallon of milk, Miller said. Keep the car locked when you’re not in it, so kids don’t get in on their own.
C: Create reminders. Put something in the backseat next to the child that you’ll need to retrieve at your next destination: a briefcase, purse or a cell phone — especially if you’re not following your typical routine.
T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911.
“If they see a young one in a car, strapped in a car seat playing, no parent there and it’s been 5, 10 minutes, … it’s time for a 911 call,” Miler said. In extreme cases, if the child appears to be medically distressed; sweating; their skin turning red from the heat,or they’re breathing heavily, “by all means, break the window. That’s not destruction of property, in an emergency situation,” Miller said.
