Article submitted
LITTLE ROCK — Sometimes all it takes is 10 minutes for a quick errand to turn into a dangerous day for a young child left in a car, said Brittney Schrick, extension family life specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“Children, especially very young children, are in danger of heat stroke or death when left in a hot car for even a brief period of time,” she said. “It can be as little as 10 to 15 minutes when in direct sunlight.”
Hot days can increase the risk of heat related illness, including heat stroke. With forecast highs bumping against the 100-degree mark, the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory through Thursday evening, saying that heat indices could be as high as 109 degrees Fahrenheit.
So far in 2025, there have been 15 instances of heat-related deaths of children in cars, according to the National Safety Council, and 39 In 2024. Since 1998 there have been 20 hot-car deaths in Arkansas.
During the summer, grandparents or other relatives have the kids for a few days of fun — days that are out of the adults’ routines.
“In cases where we are out of our routine, such as taking a child to school that we are normally not responsible for or going somewhere with our child who is usually at school or daycare, it is not uncommon to forget where we are going or why,” Schrick said. “When we are alone, this is, at worst, inconvenient. If we have a child with us, it could be dangerous.
“Forgetting about a child in the car is an all-too-common occurrence,” she said. “The majority of these cases are not of bad parents who intended their child harm, they are of good parents who were out of their routine.”
Schrick said the danger can increase with use of rear-facing car seats because the driver cannot see the child when looking in the rearview mirror. Another danger for young babies is that they may fall asleep or be very quiet so the driver does not remember they are in the car.
Lock before you leave
Many people have heard the phrase “Look before you lock,” to help remember to check for children before you walk away from a vehicle on a hot day. There’s a flip side to that, Schrick said.
“Many children who die or are injured in hot cars climb in the car or trunk themselves while the car is parked,” she said. “They may be playing in the car or using it as a hiding place.
“Most older children will get out on their own, but a younger child may become trapped because they are unable to open the door, they accidentally lock themselves in, or they close the trunk and cannot open it from the inside,” Schrick said. “It is a good habit to lock cars while they are parked and to teach children not to play in or around cars to avoid these dangers and other potential hazards.”
Find more information about car seat safety online.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
