Brownwood News – On average, 37 children die from heat-related deaths after being trapped inside vehicles every year. Even the best of parents or caregivers can unknowingly leave a sleeping baby in a car; and the end result can be injury or even death. Recently, another tragic loss of a child was reported in Burleson, Texas.
On Friday, April 14th, Kingston Jackson, 1 year old, of Burleson, was taken to Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth where he died at 7:55 p.m., according to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s website. It is believed the boy may have been trapped in a car for more than five hours. According to police, the mother found her child in his carseat in the back of the car and started screaming, alerting the neighbors, who rushed out and began performing CPR. First responders took over when they arrived, but the child never regained consciousness.

 

Some technological progress has been made by General Motors, which has developed a child reminder system for its cars. In 2016, U.S. Representatives from Ohio, New York and Illinois introduced the Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seats Act (HOT CARS Act of 2016, H.R. 6041), a critical piece of legislation that would prevent children from being needlessly killed and injured when left alone in vehicles.

As legislation and technology slowly begin to work together to end tragedy, parents and child caregivers are urged to keep this simple checklist in mind. It could save a child’s life.

From KidsAndCars.org

Look Before You Lock Safety Checklist
Make sure your child is never left behind in the back seat of a car:
  • Make it a routine to open the back door of your car every time you park to check that no one has been left behind.
  • Put something in the back seat to remind you to open the back door every time you park – cell phone, employee badge, handbag, etc.
  • Keep a stuffed animal in baby’s car seat. Place it on the front seat as a reminder when baby is in the back seat.
  • Ask your babysitter or child care provider to call you if your child hasn’t arrived as scheduled.
Make sure children cannot get into a parked car:
  • Keep vehicles locked at all times, even in the garage or driveway.
  • Keys and remote openers should never be left within reach of children.
  • If a child is missing, immediately check the inside and trunk of all vehicles in the area very carefully.

Founded in 1996, KidsAndCars.org is the only national nonprofit child safety organization dedicated solely to preventing injuries and deaths of children in and around vehicles. KidAndCars.org promotes awareness among parents, caregivers and the general public about the dangers to children, including backover and frontover incidents, and heat stroke from being unknowingly left in a vehicle. The organization works to prevent tragedies through data collection, education and public awareness, policy change and survivor advocacy.