BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Children were left unattended in a vehicle on Friday, the Glynn County Police Department said.
Although the vehicle was running with the air conditioning on and no injuries were reported, the Police Department reminded how dangerous it is to leave children alone in cars and how it could result in criminal charges.
In a Facebook post, the Police Department shared photos from a safety event, showing the difference in the temperature outside a car and inside of the car. In one photo, the outside temperature reads 86.6 degrees Fahrenheit and the inside temperature reads 156 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, 24 children died in hot cars in 2020, and one child has died this year.
On average, according to SafeKids.org, a child dies from heatstroke in a car every 10 days. SafeKids said cars can heat up 19 degrees in 10 minutes.
The National Safety Council said the three primary circumstances resulting in deaths of children in hot cars are a caregiver forgetting a child in a vehicle (54.2%), a child gaining access to a vehicle (25.2%) and someone knowingly leaving a child in a vehicle (19.1%).
To help keep children safe, parents and caregivers are reminded to park, look and lock. Park your car, look in the back and ask, “Where’s baby?” Then, lock your car.
It also doesn’t hurt to create reminders for yourself so you know when your child is in the car. The Left Shoe Movement is an easy way to set a reminder. Simply leave your left shoe next to your child’s car seat to make sure you grab both the shoe and the child.
And if you see a child alone in a car, call 911 immediately. If you are in a public place, try to locate the owner of the vehicle.