Share and Follow
In Florida, April is observed as ‘Hot Car Death Prevention Month,’ a time dedicated to highlighting the severe dangers associated with leaving children unattended in vehicles. This initiative aims to increase awareness and encourage preventive measures to avert these tragic incidents.
Florida ranks among the states with the highest number of pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths, underscoring the urgency of this campaign. Palm Harbor fire officials point out that distractions are the leading cause of caregivers inadvertently leaving their children in cars.
To address this issue, authorities emphasize the importance of never leaving a child alone in a vehicle, regardless of the duration. They have introduced the acronym ACT as a reminder to take proactive steps against this hazard.
Dr. Ebony Hunter, an Emergency Center Physician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, stresses, “There is no safe amount of time to leave a child unattended in a parked car.” Her words serve as a critical reminder of the potential consequences of even a brief lapse in attention.
- Avoid heatstroke
- Create reminders: put your phone, keys, a shoe, etc. in the backseat where the child is.
- Take action: if you see a child in a hot car, call 911.
“There is no safe amount of time to leave a child unattended in a parked car,” said Dr. Ebony Hunter, Emergency Center Physician, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
In late March, the first pediatric vehicular heatstroke fatality in Florida was recorded for 2026.
“A child doesn’t thermoregulate or regulate their bodies temperatures like an adult can. So, they regulate or get hotter, three to five times faster than an adult would,” Dr. Hunter said. ‘
Noheatstroke.org said since 1998, over 1,000 children have died in hot cars, and more than half of these deaths happen across the country due to the child being forgotten by the caregiver.
“The biggest thing we’re seeing is distractions and it’s especially our cellphones. We get on our cellphones, or we get a phone call and it’s not in our routine. We’re on our way to work and it’s not in our routine to drop off the baby that day at daycare,” said Liz Willi, PIO for Palm Harbor Fire Rescue and Chair for Pinellas County Safe Kids.
With the extreme heat in Florida, it becomes especially dangerous.
“The temperature in the vehicle can rise as much as 19 degrees in 10 minutes,” said Petra Stanton, Injury Prevention Program Manager with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Safe Kids Florida Suncoast.
Medical experts said this accident can happen to anyone, so people need to take every precaution they can.
“Leave yourself a reminder in the front, maybe put a baby item on the front seat next to you to remind you, a blanket or a bottle to remind you to look in that back seat,” Willi said.
Officials said these types of incidents are 100% preventable. One example is that technology has advanced so much; they now have sensors that will send you an alert if you don’t unbuckle your child from their car seat.
For more preventative measures, click here.