Department of Driver Services Reminder: Never Leave Kids or Pets in a Hot Vehicle

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that more than half (54%) of all vehicle-related heatstroke deaths in children are caused by a child accidentally being left in the car. (For more information on preventing hot car deaths visit http://nhtsa.gov/campaign/heatstroke).

“Senseless deaths can be prevented by having a strategy to check every time you exit your vehicle. Make it part of your routine to park your car, look inside the vehicle to ensure that your child or pet was not left behind, and then lock the car (#ParkLookLock). Never willingly leave any a child or pet in a vehicle unattended, even with the window cracked. It only takes minutes for them to overheat in a hot car,” DDS Commissioner Spencer R. Moore commented.

Important Tips to Prevent Tragedies

• Never leave your child alone in a car, even if you think you’ll only be gone for a minute.
• Develop an exit strategy (Park, Look, Lock) by leaving your shoe or briefcase in the backseat to retrieve with your child when parked.
•  Lock your car when you aren’t using it. Even if you don’t have a child of your own, a neighborhood child could get into your unlocked vehicle, with tragic consequences.
• Leave your pet at home.
• If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. Emergency personnel want you to call.

“DDS encourages safety on the roadways for drivers and passengers alike. Please take these tips to heart, and don’t put your most vulnerable passengers at risk,” said Commissioner Moore.