More than 1,000 U.S. children have died in hot cars since 1998, NHTSA says (Midland Reporter-Telegram)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) cites that more than 1,010 children have died of heatstroke because they were left or became trapped in a hot car.

The agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, points to the study of media reports recording 1,010 pediatric vehicle heatstroke deaths over 27 years (1998 through 2024). In that study, approximately 52.6% were simply forgotten by a caregiver (505 children). Additionally, 23.8% gained access to a vehicle on their own (237 children) without the assistance of adults.

NHTSA said that the children that have died from vehicular heatstroke in the U.S. have ranged in age from 5 days old to 14 years. More than half of the deaths (54%) are children under 2 years of age.

NHTSA says that a child's body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult. When a child is left in a vehicle, that child's temperature can rise quickly and the situation can essentially become deadly.

Heatstrokes begin when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees. When a core body temperature reaches 107 degrees or above, this is when death occurs.

According to the website NoHeatstroke.org, in 2018 and 2019, the U.S. saw a record number of hot car deaths: 53 children died each year — the most in at least 25 years. In 2024, 39 children died of heatstroke in vehicles — up 35% from 2023.

As for concerned members of the public, if you see a child alone in a vehicle, make sure the child is responsive and okay. If the child is not responsive, immediately call 911.

NHTSA advises the public that if a child appears to be unresponsive and in distress, attempt to get into a vehicle to assist the child — even if that means breaking a window to do so.

"Many states have 'Good Samaritan' laws that protect people from lawsuits for getting involved to help a person in an emergency," NHTSA shared on their website.

"If you see a child alone in a locked car, act immediately and call 911," said NHTSA. "A child in distress due to heat should be removed from the vehicle as quickly as possible and rapidly cooled."

Access the full article on the Midland Reporter-Telegram website.