Reminders save lives: Initiatives to prevent hot car deaths

Every summer, the loss of life due to children being left in hot cars serves as a tragic reminder of the dangers of leaving young passengers unattended in vehicles as temperatures rise.

Each year, you hear the unfortunate stories of children who become victims of hot car deaths. Tennessee is not spared from this tragedy.

Just last year, an infant was unknowingly left in a hot car and died outside of Chattanooga.

Experts say this happens due to different memory systems competing in the brain.

“As parents we do think about our kids all day. People don’t understand. It’s not that these people forgot they have a child. It’s that they lost awareness that they were in the backseat, and they actually, throughout their day, really, truly believing that they dropped them off,” said Amber Rollin-Reis, director for Kids and Car Safety.

As temperatures climb well above the 90’s this week, nonprofits like Kids and Car Safety are intensifying efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of hot car deaths, emphasizing that simple reminders can be lifesaving.

“Check the backseat every single time you leave your vehicle. And one of the things that you can do to help you get into that habit is to grab something you need when you get to your destination. So, if you’re headed to work and you have an employee badge that allows you to get into the building; put that in the backseat,” said Amber.

State officials are also backing this initiative.

Tennessee Secretary of State, Tre Hargett, is actively addressing this through the ‘Baby in the Back Hang-Tag Program’, and Tennesseans can request free hang-tags like this online.

This is a visual reminder for the parent and others walking by a vehicle to look and see if a child is inside. 25% of deaths are due to children who got into vehicles on their own.

The inside of a vehicle heats up very quickly. Even with the windows cracked, the temperature inside a car can reach 125 degrees in minutes.

Since its launch, almost 600,000 Tennesseans have requested the free hangtags. Click here to find out how to get one for yourself.

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