The Auto Channel Safety Report: Safe Kids USA Launches National Awareness Campaign to Reduce Child Deaths from Heat Stroke

- Record number of 2010 Deaths Demands Expanded Efforts

- "Near Misses" Show Widespread Problem

BOCA RATON, Fla., May 4, 2011-- Safe Kids USA, its Florida partners, and the General Motors Foundation, will unveil the elements to their 2011 national education and awareness campaign today to help reduce the number of child vehicular deaths caused by heat stroke. Sadly, two child vehicular deaths have already occurred this year from parents accidently leaving their infants in a car during a long work day. Last year, the worst year on record, 49 children in the U.S. ages two months to six years died from heat stroke while unattended in vehicles.

Through the Safe Kids USA network of 600 coalitions and chapters, the "Never Leave Your Child Alone in a Car" program will unite and mobilize a wide range of partners -- police and fire, hospitals, government agencies, child care centers, businesses and others -- to share with parents and other caregivers prevention messages to address the dangers to children in vehicles. The program will include an advertising campaign of billboards, print ads, web banners and radio announcements as well as tip sheets. The materials will be available in both English and Spanish.

This is a significant health concern as Safe Kids USA conservatively estimates that there are 1,000 -- 2,000 near-misses every month,” said Meri-K Appy, president of Safe Kids USA. “Safe Kids USA has confirmed 250,000 cases of children trapped in vehicles. Thankfully, most have not resulted in a death. However, these estimates do not include calls to fire or police departments.

“There is no greater tragedy for a parent or caregiver than to suffer the loss of a child due to hyperthermia,” said Administrator David Strickland, U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “It’s vital that children never be left unattended in a vehicle and keys are kept out of a child’s reach. We urge all parents and caregivers to make a habit of looking in the vehicle - front and back - before locking the door and walking away. If a child is missing, check the vehicle, including the trunk.”

“These horrific, yet preventable tragedies can happen more often than one would think, even at temperatures as low as 57 degrees F. And unfortunately, the number of heat stroke deaths from children being unattended in vehicles is trending upwards - since 1998 over 495 young children have fallen victim to this tragedy,” said Kelly Powell, Safe Kids Coordinator, Palm Beach County.” That’s why our goal is to create awareness and educate the millions of drivers on ways to stop these heartbreaks.”

"We're launching this program in Florida because the statistics for our state are alarming," said Sergeant Russ Mager, Delray Beach Police Department. "Since records have been kept, 56 children in Florida have died from heat stroke after being unattended in a vehicle, making Florida one of leading states. Although Florida has a law addressing unattended children, the law states that children under 6 may not be left in a motor vehicle for more than 15 minutes if the motor is not running. However, what people not always realize is that in just 10 minutes a vehicle's interior temperature can rise drastically -- 19 degrees F -- and can continue to increase."

Appy added, "Advanced technologies may help prevent child heat stroke deaths in vehicles and Safe Kids urges child seat manufacturers and automakers to continue research and development of these technologies. However, the near-term emphasis must remain on education and awareness as it will take years for technology solutions to become widespread."

Never Leave Your Child Alone in a Car is a key component of Safe Kids Buckle Up, the comprehensive Safe Kids USA child passenger safety program sponsored by the General Motors Foundation. "Providing the support necessary for the Safe Kids coalitions and community partners to effectively educate families on how they can avoid these tragic and needless deaths is an important priority for the Foundation," said Vivian Pickard, President of the General Motors Foundation. "We commend these dedicated teams and their tireless, year-round efforts to keep children safe in an around cars."

Here's what parents and caregivers need to know and why.

• Lock cars and trucks. Thirty percent of the recorded heat stroke deaths in the U.S. occur because a child was playing in an unattended vehicle. These deaths can be prevented by simply locking the vehicle doors to help assure that kids don't enter the vehicles and become trapped.
• Create reminders. Many child heat stroke deaths occur because parents and caregivers become distracted and exit their vehicle without their child. To help prevent these tragedies parents can:
  • Place a cell phone, PDA, purse, briefcase, gym bag or something that is needed at your next stop on the floor in front of a child in a backseat. This will help you see your child when you open the rear door and reach for your belongings.
  • Set the alarm on your cell phone/smartphone as a reminder to you to drop your child off at day care.
  • Set your computer calendar program to ask, "Did you drop off at daycare today?" Establish a plan with your daycare that if your child fails to arrive within an agreed upon time that you will be called within a few minutes. Be especially mindful of your child if you change your routine for daycare.
• Dial 911 immediately if you see an unattended child in a car. EMS professionals are trained to determine if a child is in trouble. The body temperature of children rises 3 - 5 times faster than adults, and as a result, children are much more vulnerable to heat stroke. Check vehicles and trunks FIRST if a child is missing.

For more information on preventing child heat stroke deaths, please visit GG Weather and Safe Kids NLYCA.

About Safe Kids USA

Safe Kids USA is part of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability to children ages 1 to 14. More than 600 coalitions and chapters across the U.S. and 19 member countries across the globe bring together health and safety experts, educators, corporations, foundations, governments and volunteers to educate and protect families. For more information visit Safe Kids

About the General Motors Foundation and Safe Kids Buckle Up

Beginning in 1997, General Motors and the GM Foundation have served as Safe Kids Buckle Up's exclusive funding source and helped build the program into a multifaceted national initiative, bringing motor vehicle safety messages to children and families through community and dealer partnerships. To date, more than 21 million people have been exposed to Safe Kids Buckle Up events and community outreach efforts. Certified child passenger safety technicians working through Safe Kids coalitions have examined 1.28 million child safety seats at 65,399 events and the program has donated 457,134 seats to families in need.

Since its inception in 1976, the GM Foundation has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to deserving American charities, educational organizations and to disaster relief efforts worldwide. The GM Foundation focuses on supporting Education, Health and Human Services, Environment and Energy and Community Development initiatives, mainly in the communities where GM operates. For more information, visit GM Corporate REsponsibility .