MURRAY, Utah (ABC4 Utah) - As the weather warms, safety experts at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital are reminding drivers to never leave a child in a vehicle – even for a minute – to prevent injury or even death from overheating.

“Even in spring, the inside of your vehicle can heat up very quickly. An outside temperature in the mid-60’s can cause the temperature inside a car to rise above 110 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Michelle Jamison, community health program manager at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital. “In just 10 minutes, a car can heat up by 20 degrees and become deadly.”

Every year, nearly 40 children across the country die after being left in a hot vehicle. 

In Utah, 13 children have died in hot vehicles between 1998 and 2022, and others have suffered injuries in close calls.

Hot car tragedies can happen to anyone. They can occur when a caretaker forgets a child is in the car. This can be due to fatigue or change of routine – common for families during summer break and vacations – that push a person’s brain into autopilot, making it easier to forget.

Additionally, nearly 3 in 10 heatstroke deaths happen when an unattended child gains access to a vehicle.

A child’s body temperature can increase 3-5 times faster than an adult’s. Cracking a window has very little effect on the temperature inside the car.

Here are some tips from the experts at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital to prevent hot-car injuries:

• Make it a habit to always look in the back seat before getting out of your vehicle.

• Keep vehicles locked and keys out of the reach of children.  Curious children get into unlocked vehicles and can’t get themselves out.

• Never leave your child alone in a vehicle – even for a few minutes.

• Keep a visual reminder that a child is with you, like a stuffed animal or diaper bag in the seat next to you.

• Place something you’ll need when you arrive at your destination, like your phone or bag, cell in the back seat. That way, when you reach for the item, you’ll likely see the child.

• If a child is missing, quickly check all vehicles, including the trunk.

• Call police or 911 if you see a child left alone in a car.

Injury prevention is part of Intermountain Health’s more than $600 million Primary Promise to create the nation’s model health system for children. This historic campaign is a partnership between Intermountain Health and its communities and has raised more than $500 million to date.

For more information about child safety and injury prevention, visit primarychildrens.org/safety.

Sponsored by Intermountain Health.