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Despite Prevention Efforts, Hot-Car Casualties Are Rising
Last year 51 children died of vehicular heatstroke in the U.S., an unsettling record that comes as efforts to prevent hot-car deaths have escalated. The latest tally was reached last month when the cause of death for two girls in Clay County, Mo., in July was confirmed to be vehicular heatstroke. Last year’s total surpassed the previous record of 49 deaths set in 2010, according to KidsAndCars.org, a child-safety advocacy group. Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash vehicular deaths for children younger than 15, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Lorraine Complains: Kids are still being left behind in cars and it needs to stop
It may be tempting to let her sleep, but leaving a child in the car is a risky proposition. In May of last year, Shaun Pennell drove to work and parked his car. His day was normal until 5:15, when his life blew apart forever. He had forgotten to drop off Wyatt, his three-year-old son, at daycare on his way to work. The child died of hyperthermia.
Alabama company patents device to prevent hot car deaths
A technology company in Huntsville, Ala., has won a patent for a device its inventors say could prevent these nightmares from becoming real. The device patented on Jan. 1 is called Payton’s Charm, and it’s about the size of a garage door opener. It works by detecting the presence of carbon dioxide inside a closed vehicle. CO2 is the gas living things exhale when they breathe. If the baby’s in the car and breathing, Payton’s Charm will detect the CO2 and call you on the phone. The message: Something’s in the car and may need help.
'You live in hell every day': The tragedy of forgetting your child in the car
At the hospital, while holding her son's lifeless body for the final time, Raelyn Balfour made a promise to her nine-month-old: his death would not be in vain. While driving to work on the morning of March 30, 2007 in Charlottesville, Va., Balfour forgot to drop off her child Bryce at the babysitter's. Later that day, he died of hyperthermia in the parking lot of her workplace.
SILENT KILLER: Keyless ignitions linked to more than 2 dozen carbon monoxide deaths
Key fobs have changed the way we start our cars. Instead of fumbling around for keys, you just hit the start button. But that convenience can come at a cost because just as easy as it is to start your car it’s just as easy to forget to turn it off with the key fob in hand. With the car still running and the garage door shut, that’s when it becomes a silent killer. An average of 430 people die each year in the U.S. from carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
