NHTSA Identifies Hyperthermia as a Serious Danger to Children

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) often issues bulletins and safety guidelines to ensure the American public is as safe behind the wheel as possible. The agency provides information on vehicle recalls, the dangers of distracted driving, driver education and tips for using child safety restraints properly.

In 2008, the agency reported that 240 children under the age of four were killed in car accidents, with 31% of those children not properly restrained. Now in the heat of the summer, the NHTSA is focusing its efforts on another deadly vehicle hazard for children– hyperthermia.

Hyperthermia, which can result in serious injury or death, most often occurs when children are left unattended in cars during extreme temperatures. In fact, according to NHTSA research, hyperthermia is the leading cause of non-crash vehicle deaths for children under the age of 14.

Although summer time is when most incidents are reported, even cool temperatures in the 60s can cause the temperature to rise well above 110° Fahrenheit inside a car. NHTSA further reports that a car’s inside temperature can rise almost 20 degrees within the first 10 minutes.

According to a news bulletin issued at the end of July, the NHTSA reports that 21 hyperthermia-related child deaths have already occurred this summer, compared with 49 deaths in children under the age of 14 years in 2010.

“These twenty-one deaths were tragic and preventable – not one of those children should have lost their lives in this horrible way,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We need to do everything we can to remind people to be vigilant and never leave a child alone in or around a motor vehicle.”

The NHTSA has convened a roundtable of experts to help step up efforts to prevent these needless deaths. Representatives from the automobile industry, car seat manufacturers, victims, researchers, consumer groups, and health and safety advocates joined in the cause to discuss strategies to reduce child fatalities and injuries in hot vehicles.

Deaths and injuries can occur accidently when parents’ routines are disrupted and they forget a child is in the car. Other times, a caregiver or family member is running an errand and believe he or she can leave the child alone “for just a minute.” Unfortunately, there are some deaths where an adult simply does not think of the implications of leaving a child in the car while shopping or going somewhere that children are not allowed.

The NHTSA has issued the following tips to prevent a hyperthermia tragedy from happening to any child:

• Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle;
• Never leave infants or children in a parked vehicle, even if the windows are partially open;
• Place your purse, briefcase or something else in the back seat so you will have to check the back seat when you leave the vehicle;
• Always lock vehicle doors and trunks and keep keys out of children’s reach;
• If you see a child alone in a hot vehicle, call 911 and get them out as quickly as possible.

Our personal injury attorneys realize that accidents can happen, but we encourage all Kentucky residents to be aware of the dangers of the summer heat and to ensure that no children are left unattended in any car.

Contact the Frank Jenkins Law Office Today

If you or a loved one has been injured or died in Kentucky because of someone else’s negligent or careless behavior, you need to understand your legal rights. The person or company responsible for your injuries should be held accountable, and you are entitled to seek financial compensation to help pay for medical expenses and the other costs incurred by your injury.

It’s our job to fight for your rights so that you can concentrate on your health and family while we deal with the insurers and those responsible for your injuries.

We can help you and your family following a Kentucky personal injury or wrongful death accident. Call our injury lawyers today at 859-389-9344 or contact us via email. You can also contact us online for a FREE CONSULTATION.