HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — A 2-year-old girl’s death on Sunday in Hallandale Beach and a 1-year-old boy’s death on June 29 in Plantation served as painful reminders of the safety steps that can prevent a tragedy.
Both children were in hot cars.
More than 50% of pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths happen after a caregiver accidentally forgets a child in the back seat, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Some children die of vehicular heatstroke because they gained access to a vehicle and became trapped because an adult failed to keep the keys out of the child’s reach.
Children are at a higher risk of heatstroke than adults since their body temperature rises three to five times faster.
The risk is high even when it isn’t hot outside. Consumer Reports recently reported testing showed that while the outdoor temperature was 61 degrees, the temperature inside a closed car had reached more than 105 degrees in just one hour.
Safety tips
Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle.
If you see a child alone in a locked car, act immediately and call 911.
A child in distress due to heat should be removed from the vehicle as quickly as possible and rapidly cooled.
Store car keys and fobs out of a child’s reach and teach children that a vehicle is not a play area.
Remember that rolling the vehicle’s windows down or parking in the shade does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle.
Write a note or place a stuffed animal in the passenger’s seat to remind you that a child is in the back seat.
Activate car and app reminders when available
Teach caregivers, sitters and grandparents about the dangers of hot cars
Source: NHTSA, NoHeatstroke.org, Florida Department of Children and Families
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
