Automakers Join Safe Kids USA and National Health and Safety Partners to Increase Awareness of 'Forgotten Child' Deaths

WASHINGTON, April 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers today announced that it has joined Safe Kids USA and more than 40 other organizations in efforts to increase awareness and urge parents and caregivers to never leave a child alone in a vehicle.  In an attempt to make 2010 a year when no more children die from heat stroke by being "forgotten" in a car, safety experts and child advocates remind parents and caregivers to always check for sleeping children before leaving a vehicle.

"I grew up in the southwest and I can say for sure, cracking a window is not enough," said Dave McCurdy, president and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.  "That's exactly why we say that you should never leave a child in a vehicle, not even for a minute.  This time of year temperatures swing widely and can suddenly – and unexpectedly – reach 70 and 80 degrees.  This is the best time to inform all parents that it just takes moments to put a child at risk of serious injury or death when they're left alone in a hot car."

Safe Kids USA is dedicated to preventing unintentional injury to children. With the help of more than 600 coalitions nationwide, Safe Kids USA works to improve the safety of kids by educating families about child injury risks and prevention, providing safety tips and resources to parents and caregivers, providing safety devices to families in need and advocating for better child safety laws on the national and local levels.

"Most people do not realize that a car can go from 70 degrees to 130 degrees in minutes, or that small kids and infants are especially susceptible.  Their body heat increases up to five times faster than an adult's and they have no way of protecting themselves," said Lorrie Walker, training manager and technical advisor for Safe Kids USA.  "Small kids and infants can't unlock a door, unroll a window or unbuckle their car seat harness. This campaign helps put a stop to this preventable tragedy."

From 1998 to 2009, 445 children died from heat stroke because they were unattended in vehicles that became too hot.  More than 50 percent of them were "forgotten" by a caring adult who became distracted as they left the vehicle.  Another 30 percent became victims of heat stroke when they were left unattended by an adult and then gained entry into, and became trapped inside, an unlocked vehicle.

Safe Kids USA and the Auto Alliance urge all adults to keep the following in mind:

• Call 911 if they see a child unattended in a vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in an auto – even for a single minute.
• Cracking the window open does not make a vehicle safe.  Even after an hour, the temperature inside and outside of an auto can differ by more than 45 degrees.
• Set a cell phone or PDA device reminder to be sure a child is dropped off at daycare.
• Set a computer "Outlook" program to ask, "Did you drop off at daycare today?"
• Place a purse, PDA, briefcase, gym bag or other item on the floor in front of the child in a back seat.  This can help serve as a reminder to open the back door and observe the child.  

"Safety is the Alliance's top priority and as global leaders in the area of research and development, our members continue to enhance automobile safety for drivers, passengers, pedestrians and especially for children," McCurdy added.  "Today's autos have more safety features than ever before; however, no safety feature is more important than parents or caregivers."

For more information on preventing hyperthermia deaths, please visit Safe Kids USA online at www.safekids.org/nlyca or visit www.ggweather.com/heat.  

The Alliance is a trade association of eleven car and light truck manufacturers including BMW Group, Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen.

Safe Kids USA is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations with the mission of preventing unintentional childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability to children ages 1 to 14. More than 600 coalitions in the United States and nineteen member countries worldwide bring together health and safety experts, educators, corporations, foundations, governments and volunteers to educate and protect families.

SOURCE Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers