As Utah heads into another blazing summer, child-safety advocates are issuing a blunt warning to parents: a “quick errand” with a child left in the car can end in tragedy. Even on what feels like a mild day, the inside of a parked vehicle can heat up at a shocking pace, creating life-threatening conditions for babies and young children.
What advocates are saying
Amber Rollins, executive director of Kids and Car Safety, told FOX 13 Salt Lake City that the interior of a parked car can become deadly in minutes, even on days in the 60s or 70s outside. Rollins explained that children’s bodies heat three to five times faster than adults' and described a vehicle as “essentially a greenhouse” that traps solar energy. She stressed that even loving, exhausted parents can make the mistake of forgetting a child in the back seat.
Numbers that keep advocates up at night
Long-term data backs up those fears. According to Kids and Car Safety, since 1990, at least 1,174 children have died in hot cars, and roughly 7,500 others have survived with injuries. Advocates say the steady drumbeat of cases shows the danger is both persistent and largely preventable.
Simple steps that save lives
Federal safety officials say small habits can make a life-or-death difference. The NHTSA warns that cracking the windows or parking in the shade “does little to change the interior temperature” and urges drivers to build in visual reminders. Suggestions include moving a stuffed animal to the front seat when a child is in the back, or putting a phone, purse, or work bag in the rear seat so it must be retrieved before getting out. The agency also instructs anyone who spots a child alone in a vehicle to call 911 immediately.
Advocates push for tech and faster rules
Beyond daily habits, safety groups want structural fixes that do not rely on memory. Kids and Car Safety says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been slow to finalize rules that could require occupant-detection systems in new vehicles. Advocates also point to a 2019 pledge from automakers to make rear-seat reminder systems standard by the 2025 model year, a commitment reported by Repairer Driven News. They argue that combining mandatory detection systems with driver alerts would sharply cut the number of hot-car tragedies.
If you see a child alone
If you spot a child alone in a vehicle, advocates say there is no time to hesitate: call 911, give the dispatcher the car’s location and description, and stay at the scene until help arrives. The NHTSA emphasizes that in an overheating car, every minute counts.
