Any parent or caregiver, even the most loving and attentive one, can unknowingly leave their child vulnerable to vehicle-related injuries and deaths.
Life is hectic – a change in daily routine, lack of sleep, stress, fatigue, and distractions are things ALL new parents experience and are just some of the reasons children have been unknowingly left alone in vehicles.
Safety Tips for Parents and Caregivers
Make sure your child is never left alone in a car:
- Make it a habit to open the back door of your car every time you park to ensure no one is left behind. To enforce this habit, place an item you can’t start your day without in the back seat (employee badge, laptop, phone, purse, etc).
- Place a hangtag on your rearview mirror to remind you to #LookBeforeYourLock. We recommend this one from BabyIn BabyOut.
- Ask your child care provider to alert you if your child does not arrive as planned.
- Set a daily reminder on your phone.
- Place your child’s diaper bag or similar item in the front passenger seat as a visual reminder that the child is with you.
Make sure children cannot get into a parked car:
- Keep vehicles locked at all times, especially in the garage or driveway. Ask neighbors and visitors to do the same.
- Never leave car keys within reach of children.
- Use childproofing knob covers and door alarms to prevent children from leaving your home unnoticed.
- Teach children to honk the horn or turn on hazard lights if they become stuck inside a car.
- If a child is missing, check the pool first, and then the car, including the trunk! Check your neighbor’s vehicles as well!
What can I do to get involved?
1) Support the Hot Cars Act
In November 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was passed by Congress and included a provision that addresses hot car tragedies. The hot car provision calls for an ‘audio and visual reminder alert to check the back seat’ in all new vehicles. However, a reminder alert alone falls short of what is needed to prevent hot car deaths and injuries. The hot cars provision that passed does not specify the need for occupant detection, which is necessary to prevent hot car tragedies. Learn more about the Hot Cars Act HERE.
Ask your representatives to require occupant detection and alert systems to the hot cars provision of the IIJA. See a sample letter HERE.
2) Make a donation
3) Spread the word
Download and share the following graphics on Facebook, Instagram, and X!
Sample Social Media Posts to Share:
- It only takes a second to double-check and prevent heatstroke. Let’s be vigilant in protecting our children from extreme heat. #LookBeforeYouLock
- See a child alone in a car? Call 911 immediately! #HeatStrokeKills #LookBeforeYouLock
- Hot car deaths are 100% preventable. 2024 is the year that hot car deaths stop increasing. #LookBeforeYouLock