GHSP encourages families to 'Stop, Look, and Lock' to prevent car heatstroke deaths
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — Heatstroke Prevention Day is May 1, 2025, and the Governor's Highway Safety Program (GHSP) is urging West Virginians to stop and look before they lock.
According to a press release, vehicular heatstroke is the leading cause of non-collision vehicle-related death in children 14 years of age and younger in the nation. GHSP is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to encourage parents and guardians to educate themselves and share about the dangers of leaving kids in cars as the temperatures begin to warm up: Once You Park, Stop, Look, Lock.
In the time since safety advocates began tracking data in 1998, heatstroke has been the cause of death for more than 1,000 children, the release stated. According to recent data, one child dies from heatstroke every 10 days in the nation from crawling into an unlocked vehicle or from being left in a vehicle. These deaths are all preventable.
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Temperatures inside vehicles can become up to 50 degrees higher than those outside, the release detailed. Cool days could even pose a risk to children, as their body temperatures increase at a rate three to five times faster than an adult's body.
39 children died due to vehicular heatstroke in 2024, an increase from the 29 children that died from vehicular heatstroke the previous year. Although a decrease in the rate of heatstroke death decreased in 2020, it has steadily increased in time time since. Averages show that 37 children die yearly due to vehicular heatstroke.
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Smaller children, such as toddlers, are also at risk for vehicular heatstroke due to them being more likely to climb into unlocked vehicles unsupervised. Nearly a quarter of hot car deaths result from children 'gaining access' to a vehicle, the release stated. It is important to teach children that a vehicle is not something to play in, and to play in or around one is a dangerous thing to do.
Parents and caregivers think this sort of tragedy could never happen to them. Sadly, 'never' does happen. Anyone is susceptible to forgetfulness. It doesn't matter who is taking care of the child, what their background is, or where they come from: Routines are often upended. It is during these moments of hurriedness and change in routine that many of these tragedies occur. Once You Park, Stop, Look, Lock.
Jack McNeely | Director, Governor's Highway Safety Program
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NHTSA encourages caregivers and parents to take these three simple precautions to prevent vehicular heatstroke deaths:
When getting out of a car, check the entire vehicle every time.
Never leaave a child unattended inside of a vehicle, not even for a minute.
Always lock the vehicle and keep the keys where children cannot reach them.
For more information regarding vehicular heatstroke and steps to take if you see a child trapped in a car, as well as warning signs of heatstroke, visit the NHTSA website. To access current data regarding heatstroke, visit noheatstroke.org. For more information regarding the Governor's Highway Safety Program, visit their website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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