SOUTHLAND - (INT) – With summer bearing down, reminders about leaving children in locked vehicles are being issued.

On average, 37 children die each year from heatstroke after being trapped inside motor vehicles. California has the third-highest number of deaths in the nation (based on population) from 1998 to now, according to San Jose State University Department of Meteorology and Climate Science.

“Close calls” that do not result in death can cause serious injury, including permanent brain injury, blindness and loss of hearing.

The interior temperature of cars parked in direct sunlight can reach up to 133 degrees Fahrenheit when outside temperatures are 90 degrees. Heat stroke occurs when the body temperature reaches 104 degrees.

“Make it part of your routine to check the back seat for children before you leave the car and whenever you exit a vehicle,” said Lorz Villagrana, the Auto Club’s Manager of Community Programs & Traffic Safety. According to California researchers, about 54% of children in vehicles were forgotten by adults and 28% were playing in an unattended vehicle.

Children also can be locked inside a vehicle inadvertently. The Auto Club receives on average 460 calls a month in Southern California where someone accidentally locked a child inside a vehicle along with the car keys, according to its roadside assistance data.

Story Date: June 27, 2017