The Science & Statistics Behind Hot Car Deaths

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gngr~snap said:
OK I was waiting for this. Are parents going to
"accidentally " running over their kids again?

http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/2014/07/18/child-run-over-carroll-county/12871053/

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Drove forward and ran over him.
Didn't see him.
A 4yr old on a tricycle!
How?
Click to expand...

Laurel Schlemmer ran over both of her children and they survived, then she left one in a hot car and he survived and finally she drowned them and they died this time. When she ran over them and left them in hot cars she said they were accidents and no one questioned it! Seriously?!
 
I just saw this article,
http://www.ggweather.com/heat/
that was all about child deaths in vehicles in the US. Astounding info, IMO, since I, like many of us, have never been faced with this horrible reality even by it happening to a mere acquaintance. It has probably been cited on this forum, but here is the stat that knocked my sox off:

hot_car_60min_small.jpg


One hour. OMG.

Please excuse the obvious naivete on my part, but I have just no prior knowledge of this horrible, horrible dilemma.

I do remember one day at work when several of us were going to a business trip out of town. The boss's car was a black Lincoln town car (his wife's car!) and it was parked in our asphalt parking lot with the windows locked up tight, and it was in the summer here in Raleigh, NC. We left about 10:00am and when we got in the car, the interior thermometer listed the temp in the car to be 114 degrees. Unbelievable.

I did read about one nearly foolproof way to make you remember that your child is in the back seat: Take off your left shoe & put it in the backseat near your child. You might forget the stuffed animal in the front seat that some folks have used (that one is pretty good, IMO, but this one is better). You won't forget your shoe for very long...

Obviously this case has me pretty wound up...
 
 
Q:What is hyperthermia?
A: Hyperthermia, also known as heat stroke, is a condition that occurs when the body isn’t able to cool itself quickly enough and the body temperature rises to dangerous levels.

Q:What are symptoms of heat stroke?
A: Symptoms may include dizziness, disorientation, agitation, confusion, sluggishness, seizure, hot, dry skin that is flushed but not sweaty, loss of consciousness, rapid heartbeat or hallucinations.

Q: Who is affected by hyperthermia?
A: Children are at great risk for hyperthermia as a child’s body heats up 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s. When the body’s temperature reaches 104 degrees, the internal organs start to shut down. When it reaches 107 degrees, the person dies.

Q: Why are children at such great risk in cars?
A:When young children are left unattended in cars, there is no one there to be sure the inside temperature is safe for them. As their internal body temperature regulation systems are not fully developed, their bodies heat up 3-5 times faster than adults, and there is little margin for error. Children die as a result of being left unattended in a vehicle in one of three ways:
1) in over half the cases (52%), they are “forgotten” by a distracted caregiver when they arrive at their destination;
2) in about 30% of cases, they climb into an unlocked car or trunk to play and are overcome by heat and can’t climb out and
3) in about 17% of cases, they are intentionally left alone by a driver.

hot-cars-kill.jpg

In just two short hours, this vehicle's inside temp rose to 139 degrees.

http://www.childrens.com/about-us/leading-the-way/child-advocacy/hot-cars-kill.aspx
 
Several sleuthers quoted statistics from this linked website, packed w info about heatstroke deaths of children in vehicles.
http://ggweather.com/heat. I've read more there and it's a virtual encyclopedia on the subject.

The meterologist running the linked site briefly summarizes why he [edit, Jan Null =he] thinks technology is not the answer for preventing these deaths.

If you want more details of both existing & in-development tech products, pls read 2012 US govt NHTSA study describing them. See nhsta.gov link below.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Isn’t there technology that will warn us if a child is left in a vehicle?
Updated July 30, 2012Yes, there are technological answers, from simple visual reminders to extremely complex technologies. I get a several inquiries a month from potential inventors/developers who have a "solution", most of them quite brillant. And there are a handful of "devices" on the market but their market share and impact appears minimal at best.
And it is important to note that these types of sensors/devices are aimed at the segment of the cases where a child is accidently forgotten (51%), but not the other half of the cases where children gain access on their own or are intentionally left in vehicles.
A National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration (NHTSA) commissioned study by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) was released July 30, 2012 (http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/811632.pdf) that seriously questioned the reliability of the products it tested.
To keep the overall effectiveness of a technological solution in context, assume a 100% foolproof device could be magically installed in 50% of every car, truck, SUV and van on the roads (that's every single vehicle less than 7 years old). This optimistic scenario would only save about 25% of the deaths that have occurred! That is, only half of the 51% of the deaths where a child was accidently left in a vehicle. However, a more realistic number might be a 5% adoption rate, in which case it would be effective in less than 15 deaths out of over 600 cases.
There's also the problem of getting devices to market, getting shelf space (or virtual shelf space for online sales) and even more importantly getting people to buy the device. Child safety experts tell me that the most common response from a parent is "I don't need one of those; I would never forget MY child!" Not to mention the huge question of whether technological answers, mandated or not, will leave out underserved populations with literally millions of used cars and used car seats in circulation.
The bottom line is that I have chosen to focus my time and limited resources on tracking the problem, educating about the scope of the problem and raising the media’s and public's awareness of how often this can happen and that it can happen to anyone. This is NOT to say I am against any solution that might save even one life, but just that I think my time is best spent as a scientist and educator."

From the FAQ in ggweather.com/heat
" How can I use your statistics on my own website?The information and statistics from this website ( http://ggweather.com/heat ) may only be used if full attribtuion is given to the source, plus a link back to the original data. This data changes frequently and it should be ensured that users can gain access to the most accurate and up-to-date information. Please use "Source: Jan Null, CCM, Department of Geoscience, San Francisco State University, http://ggweather.com/heat/".
 
We have anti-theft systems and motion detectors on our cars to make sure they don't get stolen. Most cars come with car alarms don't they? It's FACTORY INSTALLED. If the car can alert when I attempt to change lanes because a car is too close, or alarm because I am standing to close to it, by gosh it can alarm if it senses any movement inside as well.

If I can start it by remote maybe it should shut off only by remote after all the living things exit the vehicle. Perhaps an audible alarm that senses weight in the back seat that doesn't shut off until the child is removed. Kinda like the one to keep you from leaving your keys in the ignition.

If people cared as much about their children as they do about their cars they would insist something be done NOW! Cars can be replaced if stolen, lives can't and yet the factory installed alarm is to protect the car.
It is sad how children are disposable in this society.


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gngr~snap said:
We have anti-theft systems and motion detectors on our cars to make sure they don't get stolen. Most cars come with car alarms don't they? It's FACTORY INSTALLED. If the car can alert when I attempt to change lanes because a car is too close, or alarm because I am standing to close to it, by gosh it can alarm if it senses any movement inside as well.

If I can start it by remote maybe it should shut off only by remote after all the living things exit the vehicle. Perhaps an audible alarm that senses weight in the back seat that doesn't shut off until the child is removed. Kinda like the one to keep you from leaving your keys in the ignition.

If people cared as much about their children as they do about their cars they would insist something be done NOW! Cars can be replaced if stolen, lives can't and yet the factory installed alarm is to protect the car.
It is sad how children are disposable in this society.


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Click to expand...

They try to argue about liability and lawsuit as the reason why something like this would never fly. But I don't see anyone suing if their car gets stolen or if they get in a wreck while changing lane because the alert didn't work. The only roadblock I see with something like this is parents or caregivers won't feel the need because they would 'never forget their child'
 
gngr~snap said:
.... If people cared as much about their children as they do about their cars they would insist something be done NOW! Cars can be replaced if stolen, lives can't and yet the factory installed alarm is to protect the car.
It is sad how children are disposable in this society.
All posts are MOO
Click to expand...
. SBM

Before I drilled into the ggweather.com/heat website about the child vehicular heat death, I thought the same thing -
maybe US fed govt can mandate high-tech gadget in new cars and solve the problem.
After reading at ggweather.com site, I see that such a mandate would not necessarily address the problem and prevent these deaths.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration (NHTSA) commissioned study by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) was released July 30, 2012
(http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/811632.pdf) that seriously questioned the reliability of the products it tested.

For anyone who has not read the above nhtsa.gov study, I recommend it. Way more complicated than I thought.

JM2cts and I may be wrong.
 
gngr~snap said:
We have anti-theft systems and motion detectors on our cars to make sure they don't get stolen. Most cars come with car alarms don't they? It's FACTORY INSTALLED. If the car can alert when I attempt to change lanes because a car is too close, or alarm because I am standing to close to it, by gosh it can alarm if it senses any movement inside as well.

If I can start it by remote maybe it should shut off only by remote after all the living things exit the vehicle. Perhaps an audible alarm that senses weight in the back seat that doesn't shut off until the child is removed. Kinda like the one to keep you from leaving your keys in the ignition.

If people cared as much about their children as they do about their cars they would insist something be done NOW! Cars can be replaced if stolen, lives can't and yet the factory installed alarm is to protect the car.
It is sad how children are disposable in this society.


All posts are MOO
Click to expand...
one of the parents (GOOD parents) defended by kidsandcars listened to his car alarm going off repeatedly while the child he left in the car died. He muted it. repeatedly.
kidsandcars also said the Harris' were good parents
 
A look at the legal aspects of prosecuting parents and caregivers in heat deaths.

Here's an interesting study from Northwestern University Law Review (2006) about problems with prosecuting parents in hot car deaths. The author included a number of cases, mostly from 1998 - 2003. She also discussed societal and parental responsibilities, what constitutes "neglect," case law and the concept that parents shouldn't be prosecuted because they've suffered enough versus prosecuting and considering their suffering during the sentencing phase instead.

It's good reading and I've learned a few things from it. In the cases the author studied she found that blue-collar parents were more likely to be prosecuted than white collar or professionals even though heat deaths occur at about the same rate across socioeconomic classes. Moms tended to be prosecuted more often, etc.

http://www.kidsandcars.org/userfiles/dangers/heat-stroke/studies/2006-heat-crime-and-parenthood.pdf
 
tangelo said:
one of the parents (GOOD parents) defended by kidsandcars listened to his car alarm going off repeatedly while the child he left in the car died. He muted it. repeatedly.
kidsandcars also said the Harris' were good parents
Click to expand...

I'm confused :waitasec:
Does someone at kidsandcars know RH & LH?
Because that would be really ironic.
 
KristinSchmistin said:
I personally can't understand forgetting my kid. But that's not to say I believe I am a totally infallible person/parent so I put certain safeguards in place despite being a watchful/mindful parent and on top of things. For the same reason I use baby gates, outlet covers, life jackets, car seats, I also do the stuffed animal/car seat thing, keep diaper bag up front, leave my purse in back, even when the kids aren't with me I always leave my bag in back.

Do I think I would ever forget? Hellllll no. But would I even chance it? Nope not even a little.

Www.kidsandcars.com

Awesome stats, safety tips, and infographics on hot car deaths

I hope this image posts right...


y5u2ysyp.jpg




Sent from my iPhone
Click to expand...

I wonder how these stats stack up with regard to the population and average climate of each state. Obviously, someplace like Texas is hot with a lot of people, so the large amount of deaths makes sense relative to other states. Up North has a lot of fewer deaths, which makes sense with colder weather and some of the states having low populations. But NY I'd think would have more. People in NYC would have fewer cars, but there's a whole lot of NY beyond the city. I imagine some states have much higher rates of car ownership than others. Does anyone know the stats for kids dying in cold cars? Just curious as to if that ever happens. It's probably a generally slower process but you'd think we'd hear about it more in places which have insanely cold temperatures.
 
lawstudent said:
I wonder how these stats stack up with regard to the population and average climate of each state. Obviously, someplace like Texas is hot with a lot of people, so the large amount of deaths makes sense relative to other states. Up North has a lot of fewer deaths, which makes sense with colder weather and some of the states having low populations. But NY I'd think would have more. People in NYC would have fewer cars, but there's a whole lot of NY beyond the city. I imagine some states have much higher rates of car ownership than others. Does anyone know the stats for kids dying in cold cars? Just curious as to if that ever happens. It's probably a generally slower process but you'd think we'd hear about it more in places which have insanely cold temperatures.
Click to expand...
Here are a couple, have no idea about stats though.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/0...ler-left-alone-in-car-outside-markham-costco/

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/canada/archives/2014/02/20140204-071503.html

http://www.gazettextra.com/article/20140108/WC/140109765/1063
 
so many.products out there from phone apps to back seat cameras to smart car seats that talk to your cell to alarms on the shoulder straps.
With all of these products on the market, there is no excuse.


Before 1990 this almost never happened.
They blame air bags and baby in the back seat.
Car manufacturers need to imstall dual back up back seat cameras.
Unless you are backing up camera is on in back seat.
So now everyone can see baby again and baby wont get forgotten.

Yeah right. I'm disappointed in mankind. If humans can't remember their children then we need to stop having them.


http://www.cnet.com/news/alarm-helps-parents-remember-kids-in-cars/

http://cbsnews1.cbsistatic.com/hub/...05ca13/41au-0zkw4l-baby-first-monitor-220.jpg
ymugapug.jpg

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/6f4...14/07/01/1404272735000-PRECIOUS-CARGO-PIC.jpg

http://m.stltoday.com/news/local/cr...5021-ae14-d57ca57e051a.html?mobile_touch=true

zeqehaza.jpg


http://www.cnet.com/news/alarm-helps-parents-remember-kids-in-cars/

uqevu4up.jpg

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Snipped:

gngr~snap said:
Before 1990 this almost never happened.
They blame air bags and baby in the back seat.

All posts are MOO
Click to expand...

I remember waiting in the car while my parents ran into a store. I wasn't LOCKED in, but I sometimes stayed in the car alone. When it got too hot, and I do remember it getting hot, I was able to open doors and/or roll down windows. Granted, I was a kid and not a baby or toddler, but it's impossible to even roll down windows without the key nowadays. (Yes, I know I sound old!!)
 
Inthedetails said:
Snipped:



I remember waiting in the car while my parents ran into a store. I wasn't LOCKED in, but I sometimes stayed in the car alone. When it got too hot, and I do remember it getting hot, I was able to open doors and/or roll down windows. Granted, I was a kid and not a baby or toddler, but it's impossible to even roll down windows without the key nowadays. (Yes, I know I sound old!!)
Click to expand...
Exactly. Then theres the kiddie locks on the back doors. Fewer 2yr olds would get left if the didn't ride in car seats. They'd get and exit with mom. &die in wrecks... grrr catch 22

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Yeah, I think the reason it happens so much now is because we made other parts of cars safer in the sense that kids can't exit them easily...when kids could crawl around, sit in the front, open and shut doors at will, and could be easily grabbed without undoing a safety seat, it was probably much harder for this to happen. A lot of people will just shut off an alarm without thinking like they do with most alarms that go off constantly - I've almost been runover by people with backup cameras, so unfortunately those don't seem to be foolproof either. The human mind eventually stops being triggered by things that are routine, in some more than others. The most effective way to remember seems to be getting scared by screwing up once, or at least that's most effective for me. But one screw up is one too many with a child. Or being so paranoid that you consciously remind yourself, but those aren't the people who do this. That's what has always saved me - being a worrier.
 
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