BOISE, ID — Scorching temperatures in the Gem State are expected to top 100 degrees over the next few days. Idaho News 6 spoke with Matthew Conde, the Public and Government Affairs Director at AAA about the dangers of leaving your kids in the heat.
Conde explained, “In a typical year, you can usually see anywhere from 50-60 children who die from being left in hot cars.”
As the conversation went on, I learned that children are much more susceptible to heat stroke than grown adults. “We have to understand that a child's body temperature rises 3-5 times faster than an adult's,” said Conde. He also said that a child’s body is susceptible to heat stroke at 104 degrees.
Conde says one helpful trick to avoid these issues is to teach your kids what to do in a situation where they are trapped in the car. Whether that is honking the horn, unbuckling themselves, or even unlocking the door.
Another is, to leave something you need like a wallet or phone in the backseat so that you're motivated to check and make sure you're not forgetting someone or something.
Conde wrapped up the conversation by saying, “There's no such thing as a quick errand. There is no good reason to leave a kid or a pet in a hot car ever.”
