Texas leads the nation in deaths due to hot cars. Already three children have died this year after becoming stuck in hot cars. Cars sitting outside in the hot Texas sun are far hotter inside than even the air temperature outside.
Doctors say children are far more sensitive to extreme heat than adults. They say it sometimes just takes half an hour for that heat to kill a child.
That's why the Houston Fire Department is putting up eight kiosks around town and also passing out tags to hang in cars to remind parents about the dangers and to 'look before they lock.'
HFD EMS Medical Director Dr. David Persse explained, "It's usually some sort of a guardian who just plain forgets because there's a change in routine. But the other situation that we sometimes see is that kids will get into a car and they'll be playing around the car and they'll accidentally lock it and the child will panic and they don't know how to unlock the car."
One tip Dr. Persse recommends is leaving your purse or wallet in the back seat of the car with your child. It's just one more reason to remember to check the backseat before you park.
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