Look Before You Lock: May 1 is National Heatstroke Prevention Day

It’s National Heatstroke Prevention Day and Sacramento County Public Health is reminding parents and caregivers of young children to Look Before You Lock and walk away from a vehicle. Look Before You Lock is meant to remind residents about the dangers of vehicular heatstroke in children.

“It’s important for people to remember that vehicular heatstroke is 100% preventable but people must first be cognizant of how seriously dangerous it is to leave children in the car when temperatures outside are extremely hot,” said Sacramento County Public Health Officer Dr.

Kasirye. “I urge people to never leave children alone in cars and take the steps to prevent children from accessing cars.”

How to prevent vehicular heatstroke:

• Make it a habit to look in the back seat every time you get out of the car. Put something in the back seat that you won’t forget as a reminder — a purse, phone, wallet, etc.
• Never leave a child alone in a vehicle, even for a few minutes.
• Always lock the car and put the keys out of reach.
• Teach your children that the vehicle is not a playground. Another main cause of vehicular heatstroke is when children gain access to an unlocked vehicle and are unable to get out.
• Call 9-1-1 if you see a child in a hot vehicle that appears to be in distress or is unresponsive.

Vehicular heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children 14 and younger in the United States. On average, 37 children in the U.S. die each year as a result of vehicular heatstroke. Children gaining access to a vehicle and becoming trapped account for nearly one-quarter of hot car deaths.

Hot cars are deadly. Internal vehicle temperatures can quickly rise to 50 degrees warmer than outside temperatures. A child’s body temperature increases 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s meaning even a cool feeling day may still pose a threat to a child. Toddlers and young children are also more likely to climb into a hot car and become trapped inside.

The warning signs of heatstroke include red, hot and moist or dry skin, no sweating, a rapid or weak pulse, nausea in addition to confusion or acting strangely.

This message is brought to County residents in partnership with the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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