Tips for child safety in the Summer heat

As the weather starts to warm up around the country it's always good to remember that leaving children alone in the car is always dangerous, but in the summer it can spell disaster!!

On a typical summer day, the temperature inside a car can rise above 120 degrees; on mild days it can reach 100 degrees. In 10 minutes, the temperature inside a car can rise 19 degrees. In 20 minutes, that temperature can rise 29 degrees. So remember do not leave your child in the car alone, even if it's just a minute, not even with the air conditioner running.

There have been several tragic tales of people who have left their child in the car seat overnight or all day and the child has died. This is a tragic story, but unfortunately it happens. We, as parents, are all guilty of doing to much and not getting enough sleep- and those parents of infants are definitely walking around sleep deprived. But this is not an excuse, you have to give special attention to making sure your child is not in the car when you exit.

Make sure you actually drop the child off at day care, that is another tragic story. Everyone knows the story of the mother forgets to go to the day care and the child is left in the car all day in the parking lot, unfortunately this story has come true, too many times.

There are some simple steps you can take to ensure your child's safety while in the car:

1) Always lock your car and store the keys in a location where your kids cannot get to them.

2) Install a trunk release mechanism, so kids don't get trapped there.

3) Prioritize. Get your children out of the car first when you get home, and then take anything else like groceries or your dry cleaning out of your vehicle.

4) When leaving your car, check to make sure everyone is out of the car. Do not overlook any children that have fallen asleep in the car. Rear facing car seat are especially hard to see children in, so double check!!

5) Even if you leave a child in a car that is running with the air conditioning on, it does not mean that they are any safer. A child may accidentally put the car into drive or get caught in a power window.

6) Bring your children with you when running errands, or use a drive-through if one is available.

7) Fire Rescue officials say one way to never forget a child in the car is the stuffed animal method. Place a stuffed animal in a visible location like the front seat when you have a child in the car. When you take the child out of the car, place the stuffed toy in the car seat. The visual will help remind you there is a child in the back.