I am talking about the number of instances of babies and small children left to bake to death in a sealed up vehicle in the hot sun. This is not even conceivable to me as a possibility. How can anyone "forget" a child left in a car? No one I have ever known is that cavalier with the care of their child let alone the need to constantly know the child's whereabouts, especially babies. While the annual number is not large it is exponentially horrific as the only hope or help a child (baby) has is it's implicit trust in it's parents (or other caregivers).
So far in 2013 there have been 24 deaths of children left in hot cars. Well on pace to exceed last year's 33.
The latest was this four-month old baby in El Cajon, CA
Quick Stats:
- Total number of U.S. heatstroke deaths of children left in cars, 2013: 24
- Total number of U.S. heatstroke deaths of children left in cars, 2012: 33
- Total number of U.S. heatstroke deaths of children left in cars, 1998-present: 585
- Average number of U.S. child heatstroke fatalities per year since 1998: 37
Please check out this study of this tragic event:
http://www.ggweather.com/heat/
I look in every car I pass when I am going into any store, restaurant, etc. I have gone in and told management many times about animals left in closed up cars.
Sadly, when you look at that link above, my state of Texas is the worst offender in the nation. It is not a secret it is really hot and sweltering here in the summer and late into the fall.
Get a grip people! Stop the needless death of our children.
Oh yeah, action on this would save more kids lives than any gun control crap! Oops, off-topic.
Help me keep an eye out.
