Florida’s summer heat is more than uncomfortable — it can be deadly, especially for young children left in hot cars. Medical experts are renewing calls for families to take simple, potentially life-saving precautions this season.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 38 children die every year from heatstroke after being left in a hot car. The interior of a vehicle can rise 20 degrees in just 10 minutes, and children’s bodies heat three to five times faster than adults.
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Jenna Gonzalez, a trauma injury prevention registered nurse at HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital, says it’s important to know what heatstroke looks like early on.
“We’re looking at excessive sweating, we’re thirsty, we’re red, we’re flushed,” Gonzalez said.
She warns that a body temperature can climb to around 104 degrees — and beyond that, the consequences turn severe.
“107 is where we’re looking at fatal consequences,” Gonzalez said.
Many of these tragedies aren’t the result of neglect — they happen when a normal daily routine is disrupted. Julia Della Porta, a community health educator with Safe Kids Northeast Florida, says awareness of those moments is critical.
Her advice centers on keeping kids away from vehicles altogether when they’re not in use.
“We always want to make sure that with kids, we’re making a habit that we’re not playing in or around cars, or letting kids get access to our keys,” Della Porta said.
HCA Florida Healthcare in Orange Park recommends having direct conversations with family members and caregivers about hot car dangers. One practical tip: intentionally place something in the backseat — a bag, a purse — to give drivers a reason to look back there before walking away.
Gonzalez says there’s no such thing as a “quick errand” when a child is in the car. She urges parents to take kids with you, even if it’s just seconds.
“Put a bag in the backseat. Put your purse next to their car seat,” she said.