Vehicular heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related death for children 14 and younger in the United States. The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urge parents and caregivers to learn about and share critical information about the dangers of leaving children alone in hot cars. Help NHTSA spread the word: “Once You Park, Stop, Look, Lock.”
Since 1998, when safety advocates first began tracking, vehicular heatstroke has killed more than 1,000 children. On average, one child dies from heatstroke every 10 days in the United States from being left in a car or crawling into an unlocked vehicle. Tragically, every single one of these deaths could have been prevented.
Hot cars are deadly. Internal vehicle temperatures can rise quickly and become up to 50 degrees warmer than outside air temperatures. Because a child’s body temperature increases three to five times faster than an adult’s, even a cool day outside may still pose a threat to a child.
In 2024, 39 children died due to vehicular heatstroke in the United States, an increase from the 29 children who died in 2023. The death rate decreased in 2020 but has slowly increased during the past few years. On average, 37 children die each year as a result of vehicular heatstroke.
In 2024, in West Virginia, six children died due to vehicular heatstroke, according to www.noheatstroke.org.
Toddlers and young children are also at risk of vehicular heatstroke, and they are more likely to climb into a vehicle without supervision. Children “gaining access” to a vehicle account for nearly one-quarter of hot car deaths. It is a parent or caregiver’s responsibility to teach children that the vehicle is not a playground and playing in and around a car is dangerous.
“Many parents and caregivers think this sort of tragedy could never happen to them,” said Jack McNeely, director of the GHSP. “Sadly, ‘never’ does happen. Anyone is susceptible to forgetfulness. It doesn’t matter who is taking care of the child, what their background is, or where they come from: Routines are often upended. It is during these moments of hurriedness and change in routine that many of these tragedies occur. Please, ‘Once You Park, Stop, Look, Lock,” McNeely said.
The GHSP urges all parents and caregivers to take three simple steps to help prevent hot car deaths.
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First, when getting out of a car, make it a habit to check the entire vehicle, especially the back seat, every time.
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Second, never leave a child in a vehicle unattended, even for one minute.
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Finally, always lock the car and put the keys out of reach.
For more information on vehicle heatstroke, what to do if a person sees a child trapped in a vehicle, and warning signs of heatstroke visit www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/heatstroke. For current data, visit noheatstroke.org.
