Parked Cars Can Be Death Traps for Kids

Parked Cars Can Be Death Traps for Kids

Imagine sitting in a hospital waiting room anticipating the results of the tests being run on your only child. You were lucky though; at least he is alive. You had no idea that he was in your car. You can not imagine how traumatic it could have been for him to be trapped in his own car. Finally the doctors come to tell you the news. He has brain damage, and he will never fully recover. He may never walk again and he will never live the life of a normal child. These events occurred because you did not make the effort to assure your child was not unattended in your vehicle.

“At least 19 children died during the summer of 1999 because they were trapped in hot cars, according to data being released by a children’s safety group” ( O’Donnel 1). Some parents run in the post office, pay for gas, buy a pack of cigarettes, or even go shopping while their children sit in a hot vehicle. “A National Safe Kids Campaign survey shows that 10% of parents believe that children can be unattended in a car. That number increases to 20% for parents 18 to 24 years old. And 50% of parents report that they don’t lock their vehicles” ( O’Donnel 5). Children should not be left unattended in a car for any reason. A child left unattended in a car could die. The extreme temperatures cause the child to overheat, which leads to death. The child could have severe brain damage. The heat could not be so extreme it causes death, but brain damage can be just as traumatic. The child could climb into the car if left unlocked. Many parents are not aware that their children are in their vehicles. The results of leaving a child unattended in a car can be fetal.

Many parents don’t understand the severity of leaving a child alone in a vehicle. Assuring that your child is never unattended in a vehicle is very important during hot weather when temperatures inside a parked car can soar to deadly levels in minutes. “John McDonnel put a thermometer, which was set at about 98 – degrees, and let it sit in a car in the hot sun for several hours.