PEARL, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Mom Sonja Morris always buckles her six year-old daughter Taylor up before taking off. Now that temperatures are heating up, strapping Taylor in isn't Morris' only concern.
"We make sure that the car is very cool for her and she never stays in the car alone," Morris told WLBT.
We've all heard the unfortunate stories about children being left alone in smoldering vehicles. Many of those children end up dying from heat stroke.
"It doesn't matter how quick you think you're going to get in and out things can happen in a split second," said Morris.
On average about 40 children die each year in the U.S. after getting heat stroke from being trapped in a vehicle. Madison Fire Department Community Educator and Paramedic, Lisa Valadie said the inside of a car can jump in temperature in minutes. Plus, children heat up much faster than adults.
"You need to immediately call 911 especially in this hot weather because it doesn't take very long for the car to heat up," said Valadie.
The heat isn't the only thing that can harm your kids in or near the car.
One of the most common non-traffic related accidents involving children is called a "backover." It's when a child is injured or killed when you're backing up in your car. It typically happens in a parking lot or a driveway.
A website called kidsandcars.org shows a number of smiling children, who are no longer alive because they were accidentally backed over. Valadie said backovers often result from what's called the "Bye-Bye Syndrome."
"It's when someone's going to leave and a child runs out of the house to get another hug or kiss goodbye and it's just so tragic and they don't know it and they either backover them or run over them," Valadie told WLBT News.
The best thing to do to prevent backing over a child is getting out of your vehicle to make sure the road is clear. To learn more about avoiding other common car related accidents go to the KidsAndCars.org website.
Copyright 2012 WLBT. All rights reserved.
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