SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – Two children died in hot cars in Florida in the first week of November, according to our news partners at News4JAX.
Despite the time of year, temperatures have been unseasonably warm, even for Florida, and Kids and Car Safety wants to remind parents to be vigilant -- no matter the season.
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A report released Friday from the organization showed that at least 38 children have died across the U.S. this year in hot cars, including four in Florida -- two of those in just the last nine days.
A 1-year-old child died Nov. 1 after being left inside a vehicle in Sumter County, and another 1-year-old died Nov. 6 in St. Petersburg.
That was just two days before a Baker County babysitter was convicted in the hot car death of 10-month-old Ariya Paige in 2023.
Last year, “Ariya’s Act,” a law named for the baby girl, was passed in Florida to recognize April as Hot Car Death Prevention Month.
Rhonda Jewell, who was found guilty on Friday of third-degree murder and child neglect in Ariya’s death, took the stand during the trial and admitted that she forgot Ariya was still in the car.
“I opened up the back door. I accidentally left her in the car. I was like, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God, Brooke. Oh my God, Brooke. She said call 911,” Jewell said through tears.
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Brooke Paige is Ariya’s mother.
The child had been left in the car for about five hours during the heat of a June day in Florida.
But with temperatures remaining in the mid-80s through early November, Kids and Car Safety reminds parents that children have died from heatstroke in cars when outside temperatures were as low as 60 degrees.
According to the organization’s statistics, 88% of children who die in hot cars are 3 years old and younger, and a child’s body overheats 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s body.
They also want parents to understand the “Greenhouse Effect” inside vehicles. Even with the windows cracked, the temperature inside a car can reach 125 degrees in minutes. Cracking the windows on a car doesn’t slow the heating process or decrease the maximum temperature a car can reach.
Safety Tips for Parents and Caregivers
Create simple habits to help keep your child safe.
Make sure your child is never left alone in a car:
- Place the child’s diaper bag or item in the front passenger seat as a visual cue that the child is with you.
- Make it a habit of opening the back door every time you park to ensure no one is left behind. To enforce this habit, place an item that you can’t start your day without in the back seat (employee badge, laptop, phone, handbag, etc.)
- Ask your child care provider to call you right away if your child hasn’t arrived as scheduled.
- Clearly announce and confirm who is getting each child out of the vehicle. Miscommunication can lead to thinking someone else removed the child.
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 exiting 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, immediately check the inside, floorboards and trunk of all vehicles in the area carefully, even if they’re locked.
Additional safety tips:
- Never leave children alone in or around cars; not even for a minute.
- If you see a child alone in a vehicle, get involved. Call 911 immediately. If the child seems hot or sick, get them out of the vehicle as quickly as possible.
- Be especially careful during busy times, schedule changes and periods of crisis or holidays. This is when many tragedies occur.
- Use drive-thru services when available (restaurant, bank, pharmacy, dry cleaner) and pay for gas at the pump.
For more information, visit https://www.kidsandcars.org/how-kids-get-hurt/heat-stroke/.
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