Road Safety - Keeping Kids Safe

Heatstroke

Heatstroke is one of the leading causes of non-crash-related fatalities among children. Vehicle heatstroke occurs when a child is left in a hot vehicle allowing for the child's temperature to rise in a quick and deadly manner. Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 40 Celsius and the is thermoregulatory system overwhelmed A core body temperature of about 41.667 Celsius is lethal. Whether you're a parent, relative, or bystander of a child left in a car, it's vitally important to understand children are more vulnerable to heatstroke than adults.

Prevention Tips

Look before you lock. Make it a habit to look before you lock
Keep your vehicle locked and keep your keys out of reach.
TAKE ACTION if you notice a child alone in a car!

What You Need to Know, Now.

It is never okay to leave a child alone in or around a car for any reason.
Even in cooler temperatures, your vehicle can heat up to dangerous temperatures very quickly. An outside temperature in the mid-60s can cause a vehicle’s inside temperature to rise above 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The inside temperature of your car can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes.
Heatstroke does not only occur during the summertime. This deadly issue can occur at any time of year, in any weather condition, in any community, or any parent.

Power Windows

Children can hurt themselves with power windows. Many kids are injured when a window closes on their fingers, wrists, or hands. Some kids have been strangled by power windows.

Prevention Tips

Teach your children not to play with window switches.
Teach your children not to stand on passenger door armrests.
Properly restrain your children in car seats or seat belts to prevent them from accidentally activating power windows and sunroofs.
Look and make sure your kids’ hands, feet, and head, are clear of windows before raising the windows.
Never leave the key in the ignition or in the “on” or “accessory” position when you walk away from your car.
If available, activate the power window lock switch so that your children cannot play with the windows.

What You Need to Know, Now.

Your car may have child safety settings for power windows, but that doesn’t mean your child will not find a way to test the system. Never leave your children alone in a vehicle for any reason.
Some vehicles have power windows that automatically reverse when an object (such as your child’s arm or neck) is in the path of a closing window.

Seatbelt Entanglement

A child within reach of a seat belt may become entangled if he or she pulls the seat belt all the way out and wraps the belt around his or her head, neck, or waist. The majority of seat belts have locking mechanism that is activated when the seat belt is pulled all the way out from the retractor. In instances when the locking feature activates, the child may not be able to free him or herself. This can happen if you do not properly restrain your child, for example, if you let the child lie down or sleep on the vehicle seat instead of being properly restrained.

Prevention Tips

Do not let children play in or around cars.
Always ensure children are properly restrained.
Teach children that seat belts are not toys.
Be aware that some seat belts have a retractor that locks if pulled all the way out.
If a child has an unused seat belt within reach, buckle unused seat belts. Pull the seat belt out all the way to the end without yanking. Then, feed the excess webbing back into the retractor.

What You Need to Know, Now.