CLEARFIELD — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania Traffic Injury Prevention Project (TIPP) stressed the dangers of Pediatric Vehicular Heatstroke (PVH) at Bobby Rahall Honda in State College Tuesday during a demonstration of smart technology designed to alert caregivers when their child is in danger.
“With our current busy lifestyles, the temptation to save a few minutes here or there by leaving a child in the car while running a brief errand is ever present,” said Tom Zurat, PennDOT district executive. “But this is an extremely dangerous decision that often leads to tragedy. Never leave a child alone in the car. Not even for a few minutes. Not even with the windows cracked. And not even with the engine on and the air running.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), PVH is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related death for children in the United States, resulting in 906 fatalities among children 14 and younger from 1998 to today. More than half of those fatalities occurred because a child was accidently left in the car, most often as they were being taken to either childcare or preschool. This type of fatality most frequently occurs in children younger than one year that are most often asleep or behaving quietly in the backseat. Changes in routine are also common factors in these preventable deaths.
Tim Nebgen, PennDOT safety press officer, urged parents to “Look Before You Lock” to make sure tragedy doesn’t strike your family. He said, “Parents should make it a habit to check the back seat every time you exit your vehicle and to always lock the car and put the keys out of reach,” because another quarter of PVH fatalities occurred when a child gained access to a hot car unsupervised.
Car seat manufactures are also joining in the fight against PVH fatalities. Kelly Whitaker, PA TIPP North Central Regional coordinator, demonstrated proper installation of a car seat equipped with a built-in sensor that syncs to a smartphone and alerts the caregiver when a child is left alone in the car or if their temperature becomes too high or too low. A Bobby Rahal staff member also demonstrated similar technology built into newer model year Honda vehicles.
Pennsylvania State Police were also on hand to remind drivers of Pennsylvania’s Child Passenger Safety Law, which is: Children from birth to age two must be secured in a rear-facing car seat until the child outgrows the maximum weight and height limits designated by the car seat manufacturer. Children from birth to age four must be restrained in an approved child safety seat anywhere in the vehicle. Children ages four through eight must be restrained in an appropriate booster seat, and children eight years and older must be in a seat belt.
According to NHTSA, a child’s body temperature can rise as much as five times faster than an adult’s, and heat stroke can occur in outside temperatures as low as 57 degrees. On an 80-degree day, a car can reach deadly levels in just ten minutes.
