Dire Call for Parents to Prevent Hot Car Tragedies

Two more young children died in hot cars in the United States this past week, highlighting the ongoing danger of leaving children unattended in vehicles. Pediatric emergency medicine physician Dr. Sarah Lazarus explained that children's bodies heat up three to five times faster than adults, making them especially vulnerable to heatstroke. Most hot car deaths occur because a caregiver unintentionally forgets a child is in the vehicle, but experts say these tragedies are preventable. Parents are urged to always check the back seat before locking the car, leave a personal item in the back as a reminder, and ask childcare providers to call if a child doesn't arrive as expected. Experts also warn that cracking windows or parking in the shade does not make a vehicle safe.