Vehicular heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash vehicle-related deaths for children 14 and younger in the United States. Being left in a hot car is dangerous for any unattended passenger.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety urge parents and caregivers to learn and share critical information about the dangers of leaving children alone in hot cars. Help us spread the word: Once You Park, Stop, Look, Lock.

Since 1998, vehicular heatstroke has killed more than 1,000 children nationally. On average, one child dies from heatstroke every 10 days in the United States from being left in a car or getting into an unlocked vehicle. While hot car deaths can happen in any month, there is typically an increase from May through September.

Hot cars are deadly: internal vehicle temperatures can quickly rise, up to 50 degrees warmer, than the outside temperature. Because a child’s body temperature increases 3 to 5 times faster than an adult, even a cool day outside may still pose a threat to a child. Toddlers and young children are more likely to climb into a hot car and become trapped, unable to get out of the vehicle. Children “gaining access” to a vehicle account for nearly one-quarter of hot car deaths across the United States. It is important for a parent or caregiver to teach children that the vehicle is not a playground and playing in and around a car is dangerous.

“Thankfully, in Maine, we have very few incidents of children dying in hot vehicles. However, one life lost is one too many,” said Erica Davis, Highway Safety Coordinator for the Bureau. “Every hot car death is preventable, and it is our collective responsibility to take steps to protect our children from this preventable tragedy. Once You Park, Stop, Look, Lock.”

Maine Bureau of Highway Safety urges all parents and caregivers to do these things to help prevent child heatstroke:

• Make it a habit to look in the back seat EVERY time you exit the car. Leave your wallet or purse in the back seat where you must retrieve it as a reminder.

• NEVER leave a child in a vehicle unattended.

• ALWAYS lock the car and put the keys out of reach, even in your driveway.

• Ask your daycare provider to call you within a few minutes if your child is late for daycare.

• Teach children that if they can't get out of the rear doors, try the front doors and to honk the horn to get the attention of others.

If you are a bystander and see a child in a hot vehicle:

• Make sure the child is okay and responsive. If not, call 911 immediately.

• If the child appears to be okay, attempt to locate the parents or have the facility’s security or management page the car owner over their PA system.

• If there is someone with you, one person should actively search for the parent while the other waits near the car.

• If the child is not responsive or appears to be in distress, attempt to get into the car to assist the child — even if that means breaking a window. Many states, including Maine, have “Good Samaritan” laws that protect people from lawsuits for getting involved to help a person in an emergency.

For more information on vehicle heatstroke, visit NHTSA.gov/Heatstroke. For current data, visit noheatstroke.org.