With record highs on tap for the next few days, experts are reminding us to keep an eye out on our kids and vehicles.
The Howard County Police are asking people to remember the kids can get overheated very quickly, and that cars parked in direct sunlight can reach temperatures of 131 degrees to 172 degrees F when outside temperatures are 80-100, and we're expecting higher than 100.
"It’s critical that caregivers know it is never safe to leave a child unattended in a car, especially in hot weather,” Police Chief William McMahon said in a news release. “We’ve seen children die this way in Howard County, and we’ve had some close calls. We are urging people to be aware of this danger."
Here are some more tips from the HCPD:
• Place something that you’ll need at your next stop – such as a purse or briefcase – near the child safety seat. This simple act could help prevent you from accidentally forgetting a child.
• If you are dropping your child off at childcare, and normally it’s your spouse or partner who drops them off, have your spouse or partner call you to make sure the drop went according to plan. Ask your childcare provider to call you if your child does not show up for childcare.
• Teach children not to play in, on or around vehicles.
• Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even with the window slightly open. A vehicle can
heat to dangerous, life-threatening levels in only 10 minutes.
• Always lock a vehicle’s doors and trunk. Keep keys and remote entry devices out of children’s
reach.
