While warm weather conjures up thoughts of holidays, the beach and barbecues, it can prove extremely dangerous. People running errands should never leave their children or pets in a car in sunny weather, even for a few minutes, the National Safety Council advises. If it's 85° Fahrenheit (29.5° Celsius) outside, the temperature inside a vehicle can soar to more than 100° F (almost 38° C) in little more than 10 minutes, even if the windows are kept slightly open. A child's body heats up faster than an adult's, adding to the danger. The lethality of warm cars can be seen from heartbreaking data published on Notheatstroke.org, which is maintained by lecturer Jan Hull at the Department of Meteorology and Climate Science at San Jose State University.
It shows that across the United States, more than two dozen children still die every year after being left in a hot car. Five have already died in 2026 as of May 21. That's alarming considering that most parts of the country still have to experience their warmest months of the year. Last year, 32 children died from heatstroke after being left in warm vehicles while in 2018 and 2019, the number of deaths was 53 each. However, looking at data since 2008, there is no clear downward trend visible in five-year averages.
Hull's data also shows that these deaths are not exclusive to America's hottest states, but have also happened in places like Maine, North Dakota or Montana. Likewise, a small number of car heatstroke deaths in children also happen in winter, showing that parents and other caregivers need to remain vigilant at all times.
They are advised to keep purses or wallets (or even one of their shoes) in the back seat to not potentially forget they have a child on board when hopping out of the car for a quick stop. Another harrowing, but common scenario is forgetting a child in a car long-term, thinking one had dropped it off at daycare, for example. This often happens in stressful circumstances or due to a change in routine, and has happened to people across caregiving roles, genders and educational backgrounds. More than 50 percent of those who left a child in a car who died said they had forgotten the child was there. Caregivers are therefore advised to have daycare centers call them if a child does not turn up unexpectedly.
Another important factor to keep in mind is that around a quarter of heatstroke car deaths in children are in those who gained access to vehicles and were unable to leave. Therefore, everyone – not just parents – should keep parked vehicles locked at all times and keep the keys and knobs to them secured. Additionally, children should be warned about the dangers of entering cars on their own and taught how to open rear and front doors as well as trunks and to honk the horn. If children go missing, caregivers should check pools and ponds first, then cars and their trunks.
When observing a child in a locked vehicle on a warm day, bystanders should immediately call emergency services. Regardless of the weather, it is illegal to leave minors unattended in a vehicle in 21 U.S. states in some circumstances. In only 12 states, it is illegal to do so in any circumstances.
