Kids in Cars

1
Kids in Cars

• Big Brother, Big Sister
• Big Help

2
Just the Facts

• You may already know that vehicles on the move
  are dangerous to children.
• In the U.S., collision-related injuries are the
  leading cause of death for children 5 to 12 years
  old.

exit
3
Just the Facts

• But vehicles are also a danger to children even
  when theyre parked.

exit
4
Just the Facts

• According to the Centers for Disease Control and
  Prevention, in a one-year period ending June
  2001
• 9,160 children were injured when they were left
  unattended in or around motor vehicles
• under 15 years old

exit
5
Just the Facts

• And of course, if its your little brother,
  sister, cousin or friend, even one is too many.

exit
6
Just the Facts

• In a 2005 Harris poll, 30 of American adults
  with children under 12 admitted to having left
  children alone in a vehicle.
• That doesnt make it OK.
• It isnt OK.

exit
7
When kids get left alone

• How do kids get hurt when theyre left alone
  inside a parked vehicle?
• Theres no easy way to say it, so well just say
  it

exit
8
When kids get left alone

• They find the keys, start the engine, and the car
  begins moving, out of control
• They bump something and start the car rolling

exit
9
When kids get left alone

• They overheat (hyperthermia)
• They freeze (hypothermia)

exit
10
When kids get left alone

• They push a button and choke themselves on a
  power window
• A fire starts inside the car

exit
11
When kids get left alone

• Theyre vulnerable to kidnappers
• Theyre vulnerable to carjackers

exit
12
Golden Rule 1

• Dont leave kids alone inside a vehicle.
  Not even for a minute.

exit
13
Planning Ahead

• If youre driving with kids in tow, what can you
  do so youre not even tempted to leave a child
  alone in the vehicle?
• Remember that a car is not a babysitter
• Plan ahead

exit
14
Planning Ahead

• If a child is with you when you run errands in a
  vehicle
• Use drive-through services
• Use a credit card at the gas pump
• Schedule curbside pick-ups/drop-offs
• Ask grocery store clerks to load your vehicle and
  return your cart for you

exit
15
Planning Ahead

• If you know the errands are going to involve a
  lot of getting into and out of the car
• Try to leave the kids with an adult.

exit
16
If there are no options

• If none of these options is available, do the
  right thing
• Get the kids out of their car seats and take them
  inside with you. Then buckle them back in when
  the errand is over.
• Repeat as often as necessary.

exit
17
And remember

• Even if youre not the driver
• Your help with the little ones will be greatly
  appreciated.

exit
18
Quiz Question

• You spot a small child who has been left alone
  inside a car in a parking lot on a warm day. He
  looks flushed (or sick) and cranky. You should
  call 911 immediately.

True
False
exit
19
Call 911

• True Call 911 right away. It takes very little
  time for a cars interior temperature to rise to
  dangerous levels.
• And on a cold day, it takes just as little time
  for the temperature to drop.

exit
20
Call 911

• A car can become an oven.
• When its 81 outdoors, the interior of a vehicle
  can reach 100 in 10 minutes.
• The temperature inside the vehicle will rise 10
  to 30 further as time passes.
• Cracking the windows does not help.

exit
21
Call 911

• Theres no time for second guessing your decision
  in this situation.
• By the time the child looks flushed, you probably
  need to move very quickly.

exit
22
Call 911

• And remember
• The younger the child, the more vulnerable s/he
  is to heat.
• Children with fevers are especially vulnerable.

exit
23
Call 911

• By the way, even if a child inside a car looks
  perfectly comfortable, its reasonable to call
  911 if an adult does not show up within 5 minutes.

exit
24
Got it?

• Never leave a child alone inside a vehicle. Got
  it.
• Unfortunately, thats not the only way kids get
  hurt around vehicles

exit
25
When kids play near cars

• Kids also get hurt when they play in or around
  parked vehicles
• They get into the car and cant get out
• They get into a trunk and it closes behind them
• A driver doesnt see them and backs into them

exit
26
Golden Rule 2

• Teach kids not to play in, on, or around cars,
  even cars that appear to be empty.

exit
27
And more

• Of course, theres more you can do
• Keep vehicles locked at all times.
• Dont leave keys within kids reach.
• When you park, make sure all young passengers get
  out.
• If a child goes missing, check vehicles and
  trunks right away.

exit
28
And more

• Your parents may want to consider
• Retrofitting family vehicles with a trunk release
  device
• Installing cross-view mirrors or back-up
  detection devices

exit
29
Quiz Question

• You dont need to lock your vehicle if its
  safely parked in your driveway or garage.

True
False
exit
30
Answer

• False. A vehicle is not safe from a childs
  curiosity just because its parked at home. Lock
  it. Thats the only way to be sure a child cant
  wander into it.

exit
31
Quiz Question

• When you back up in a vehicle, its difficult to
  be sure you see everything that is directly
  behind your vehicle.

True
False
exit
32
Answer

• True. There is a blind spot directly behind every
  vehicle.

exit
33
Answer

• The blind spot is there in every vehicle, but
  its even worse
• In bigger vehicles
• For shorter drivers
• When something behind you is shortlike a small
  child

exit
34
Answer

• If youre a driver, take extra care when you back
  up, especially if theres any likelihood a child
  could be behind your vehicle.
• Never start backing up unless you know exactly
  whats behind you.
• If this means getting out of the car to check
  behind you, do it.

exit
35
What else can you do?

• What if you dont drive yet and dont have a
  little brother or sister or cousin of your own?
• How can you help?

exit
36
You can

• Help us build our database. E-mail us local
  stories about children who have been injured in
  the ways weve described.
• contactus_at_kidsincars.org

exit
37
You can

• Write an article about this topic for your school
  newspaper.
• And wed love to see a copy when its published.

exit
38
You can

• Organize a fundraiser for Kids In Cars.
• It will help us get our message out to people
  everywhere.

exit
39
You can

• Youre at a very creative age. You can probably
  think of ways to support Kids In Cars that never
  even occurred to us.
• Wed love to hear your ideas, now or later.

exit
40
Thanks!

• Thank you for
• Never leaving kids alone in a vehicle
• Teaching kids not to play in or around vehicles
• All you choose to do to advocate for Kids in Cars

exit
41
If you need us

• Please contact us if you feel we can help you or
  you can help us.
• www.kidsincars.org

exit