National Heatstroke Prevention Day encourages parents to ‘look again’ to protect their children

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A doll, car seat and thermometer show the danger.

“This will never happen; I would never leave a child unattended in a hot car in or van, but it does happen,” Amy Jacobs, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) said.

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Accidentally leaving a child in the back seat or leaving it unlocked for a child to crawl in.

On a day in the low 80′s the temperature climbs and climbs and within 25 minutes this temperature jumped to 111 degrees.

“Their body temperature rises 3 to 5 times faster than any adult,” said Allen Poole of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS).

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It’s only getting hotter into summer, but there’s a reason safety officials this year-- are especially concerned.

An average of 40 children die every year in hot cars in the United States. So far this year in Georgia, nine children were found - and rescued.

But that’s more than all of last year.

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It could be distractions or a change of routine. The advice for parents and caregivers is find a way to remind yourself and soon in Georgia -- new billboards will remind drivers to look again.

“Look again, then close and lock your doors,” Jacobs said.

Car seat deaths are considered preventable and are a risk to little ones all year.

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