There are many dangers on and off the road that surround today’s children. While the more common ones like child-proofing harmful substances or not talking to strangers are routinely addressed, sometimes it’s the ones we don’t think about that can bring about a worst case scenario.
Each year, approximately 37 children die from hyperthermia while left in hot vehicles. A child’s body can warm three to five times faster than an adult’s.
General Motors and Safe Kids USA have teamed up to create a video, giving tips to prevent these deaths, often caused by distracted parents and caregivers.
Within 10 minutes of being closed, in the daytime, the inside temperature of a vehicle will be almost 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperature, after 30 minutes it will be 34 degrees hotter. The video shows an example of how a vehicle can reach temperatures of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit on a cloudy, 82-degree day.
Here are a few tips from the video. May we all help to spread the word, as education and awareness is the best prevention.
• Place an object that you need, such as a cell phone or briefcase, near the child’s seat.
• Keep the vehicle doors locked while parked in the driveway; children playing in vehicles can suffer hyperthermia as a result of becoming trapped.
Also view:
1 Comment Received
December 6th, 2010 @2:49 pm
To Whom It May Concern (For Your Information)
I am composing this e-mail to share an unfortunate incident to which my Wife and I were witness to on Sunday Afternoon 5 December 2010 at 16:35 at the Amalinda Shoprite Shopping Complex in East London.
My wife and I stopped in at the parking lot so that my wife could purchase a few items of groceries. I was sitting in my vehicle and heard hysterical screaming from a child (the child was screaming Mama, Mama, Mama). I first thought that it may be a child screaming for something that a parent may not have bought for them. After a minute or so I realised that the sound was coming from the inside of a parked motor vehicle two spaces next to my right hand side.
I immediately got out of my vehicle to investigate what the commotion was all about. To my most disgusted surprise I found two little Xhosa girls (one child about 3-4 years old, and the other about 4-5 years old) left unattended in a Metallic Silver VW Polo (reg. no. FLL 332 EC), vehicle locked and at least the rear left passenger window was left open.
I spoke to the kids and said to the elder of the two girls that she needed not worry and that I would wait with them next to my vehicle to wait for the responsible adults to return. That seemed to pacify and comfort the two children. After about 10 minutes of no one coming to the vehicle, I asked the children if there Mama was in Shoprite and they said Mama was, I then offered each child a minty sweet, which they accepted gladly.
At 16:50 I told my wife about the children after she returned from the store with our goods, she then proceeded to write down the Registration number of the vehicle to go back into the store to make an announcement on the PA system in Shoprite.
As she was on her way back a tall Xhosa man (+- mid 30’s) made his way back to the vehicle I asked him if he was the responsible person of these two children. He then said that he was. I noticed that his eyes were a little bloodshot (either he was hung-over or a little under the influence of something – I never got close enough to the man as I was so Livid and cautious of what I might do to him).
After thoroughly lambasting him, he said that he was standing under the shade of the entrance at Shoprite and was watching the Children and vehicle from there (Nice Dad you are pal – You getting hot and bothered, so you can stand in the shade and leave the little Angels to their own devices and those of the public in the blistering sun).
I told him that he must not come with poor excuses as he clearly was not watching the vehicle, because if he was half a father he would have noticed me as a stranger talking to his children, giving them sweets and standing next to the vehicle keeping an eye on them until one of the Parents returned.
He apologised to me after this (clearly embarrassed). I then told him that I require no apologies, but he should rather apologize and make up to the children for the trauma he had subjected them to, and that he needs to catch a serious wake up and have a reality check about his children and the dangerous world that we live in.
My children and I were subjected to the murder of a Cash in Transit Guard in that very same shopping complex not to long ago. We live in Dark and Dangerous times in this not so nearly perfect world. As responsible adults and parents, we need to be alert at all times especially when it comes to the safety of the little children
Here are two photographs of the little girls and the registration number of the “Responsible Parents” that we witnessed.
My wife and I were terribly upset about way that people can be so naïve when it comes to the safety of unattended children and the dangers and monsters that lurk and roam our World.
To the parents who deserve a damned good hiding for your neglectful and disgraceful behaviour towards your children.
“CATCH A BLOODY WAKE UP & DON’T BE SELFISH & STOP LOOKING OUT FOR YOUR OWN INTERESTS”
Leave A Reply