Officials: High temperatures raise hot car health risks

The short wave of summer heat brings relief from the long Montana winter but, if underestimated, can prove just as deadly.

Every year, between 40 and 50 children nationwide die of heatstroke after being left in a hot car, 50 percent of which are infants younger than 1 year old, according to Dr. John Cole.

Cole, a pediatrician with Sunny View Pediatrics in Kalispell, said even before outside temperatures reach the daily highs, the inside of a vehicle can reach temperatures up to 20 degrees hotter than outside after just 10 minutes in the sun.

This means on an 80-degree day, the interior of a parked car can reach more than 100 degrees in the time it takes to run into the grocery store and check out.

According to Cole, however, it doesn’t take an 80-degree day to cause heatstroke. What many people and parents don’t realize, Cole said, is heatstroke can occur when outside temperatures are as low as 57 degrees.

“Even on cooler days it’s a risk,” Cole said.

Heatstroke occurs when the body is unable to cool itself quickly enough, according to Cole.

So far this year, 12 children across the country have died of heatstroke, the number one cause of non-crash car related deaths in children younger than 15, according to https://www.healthychildren.org.

Cole referenced the site, stating that, when left in a hot car, a child’s major organs begin to shut down when his/her body temperature reaches 104 degrees. This can cause difficulty breathing, damage and failure of organs and loss of consciousness. When the body temperature rises to 107 degrees, the child can die.

Add to that the fact that children’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than adults’ due to their inability to sweat, and a quick errand can turn deadly in minutes.

In a study by the National Safety Council, of the 712 recorded children that have succumbed to heatstroke in a hot car since 1989, 54 percent were forgotten and left in the car by mistake.

“In 2016, more than twice as many children died in hot cars than all individuals who died in tornadoes across the country,” according to the council’s website.

According to Cole, this issue has become more prevalent over the past few years as drivers have become increasingly distracted, either by cellphones or ever-changing schedules.

“Parents just get very busy, especially today with all the distractions, and I think it’s easy for them to forget about their child in the backseat,” Cole said. “A well-meaning parent can easily make a mistake like that.”

The study council identified the second most common reason children die in hot cars as getting trapped inside while playing unattended.

According to the study, 28 percent of recorded deaths occurred this way, while 10 percent were left in the car intentionally.

MONTANA IS one of 31 states that currently have no laws in place that prohibit leaving children unattended in a vehicle. However, Kalispell police officer Shane Lidstrom said the department receives about one call per day during the spring and summer months from concerned citizens who find children left in cars or from frantic parents who’ve locked themselves out of their vehicles with children inside.

Fortunately, Lidstrom said, cases where officers find the child to be in genuine trouble are rare, and he said he’s personally never seen a death in the area as a result of heatstroke.

However, when officers respond to a child left unattended in a car, Child Protective Services can potentially get involved and those responsible can face serious child abuse or neglect charges, Lidstrom said.

While Lidstrom said it is not against the law to break a vehicle window to save a child in inherent danger, he strongly advised calling 911 first and allowing officers to respond.

In addition to children, Lidstrom said he gets numerous reports each day of pets left in hot cars. In these instances, he said he checks to see if the windows are at least partially down and whether or not the dog has water. The same does not go for children. Putting the windows down or running the air conditioning prior to turning off the car does little to nothing to affect the inside temperature of the car.

Lidstrom’s best advice was, “Use common sense. You wouldn’t want to be sitting in the car without the AC. Your pet or kiddo shouldn’t have to either.”

Cole said it is imperative to always check the back seat when you get out of the car to make sure you are not forgetting anyone. He suggested putting a purse or belongings you carry with you in the backseat to make sure you check. He also discouraged cellphone use while driving and said to be alert during any changes to the daily routine that may cause distractions and forgetfulness.

To prevent children from locking themselves in a hot car, keep vehicles locked, even at home, and never underestimate how quickly and how hot a car’s temperature can get.

Of all 712 recorded child deaths from heatstroke in a hot car, Cole said 100 percent could have been prevented.

For more information, visit the National Safety Council online at http://www.nsc.org or https://www.healthychildren.org.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.