The numbers keep going up.
At least 23 children have died so far this year after being left inside a vehicle. Three other child fatalities — including one in Florida — are pending autopsy results.
Two of the children, a 1-year-old boy and a 10-month-old girl died the same day, Aug. 13, according to Kids and Car Safety.
That’s quite a jump since our last story just over a month ago, when seven children had died as of July 5.
One confirmed fatality occurred in Florida.
2024 hot car deaths in Florida, US
The following hot car deaths for 2024 have been compiled by Kids and Car Safety, an organization formed to eliminate little-known, yet widespread vehicle dangers and to protect children both in and around vehicles.
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Richland County, South Carolina
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Bradenton, Florida
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Morgantown, West Virgina
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Santee, California
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Perry County, Mississippi
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Charlotte, North Carolina
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Marietta, Georgia
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Houston, Texas
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Little Rock, Arkansas
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Marana, Arizona
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Omaha, Nebraska
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Fairfield, Illinois
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Lakewood, New Jersey
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Monticello, New York
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East Hanover, New Jersey
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Fitzgerald, Georgia
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Milton, Vermont
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Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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Cordes Lakes, Arizona
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Collegedale, Tennessee
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Vicksburg, Michigan
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Lexington, Massachusetts
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Jennings, Louisiana
More hot car deaths to be determined pending autopsy results
How many children have died in Florida in child heatstroke deaths in vehicles?
Between 1990 and 2023, there have been 118 child hot car deaths in Florida.
Texas leads the nation with 155 deaths over the same time period.
Can parents be charged if they leave a child locked in a car in Florida?
Leaving a child younger than 6 unsupervised in a motor vehicle for more than 15 minutes is a second-degree misdemeanor, according to Florida Statutes.
If the motor is running, the health of the child is in danger or appears to be in distress, the caregiver can be fined from $50 to $500.
Any person who violates the law and in so doing causes great bodily harm, permanent disability, orpermanent disfigurement to a child commits a felony of the third degree.
By the numbers: Hot car child deaths
How hot can inside of a car get and how quickly?
While the majority of these tragedies occur during the summer, deaths have been recorded in every month.
Research has shown that vehicles become dangerously hot quickly, even when the outside temperature is moderate. With an outside ambient air temperature of 72 degrees, the internal vehicle temperature can reach 117 within 60 minutes, with 80% of the temperature increase occurring in the first 30 minutes, the National Safety Council said.
In general, after 60 minutes, one can expect a 40-degree average increase in internal temperatures for ambient temperatures between 72 and 96 degrees.
How hot is dangerous inside a vehicle?
Interior vehicle temperatures can be 50 degrees higher than outside temperatures. Even on a cool day when the outside temperature is 61, within an hour, the inside temperature of a car reached more than 105, according to Consumer Reports.
On a 72-degree day, a car’s interior can be deadly in less than 30 minutes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The danger from high temperatures is particularly acute for young children because their bodies heat up three to five times faster than adult bodies, the American Academy of Pediatrics said.
Heatstroke in children can happen when their core temperature reaches about 104 degrees. A child can die if their internal body temperature reaches 107 degrees, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
And cracking the window, parking in the shade or having a lighter colored car doesn’t help, Consumer Reports said.Related contentlist (ID: 73892033007)
How do children get left inside vehicles? How old were the children who have died?
According to NoHeatStroke.org, the circumstances that lead to a child dying from heatstroke inside a vehicle are usually:
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52%, 505 children: They were forgotten, with almost half not dropped off at child care.
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25%, 237 children: Children gained access into the vehicle on their own.
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21%, 200 children: They were knowingly left in the vehicle by a caregiver.
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2%, 26 children: Unknown
“The children who have died from vehicular heatstroke in the United States from 1998 to 2023 have ranged in age from 5 days to 14 years,” according to NoHeatStroke.org.
“More than half of the deaths, 55%, are children under 2 years of age.”
Signs of heatstroke in children
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, signs of heatstroke that require immediate medical attention include:
“Before severe heatstroke, children in hot cars suffer from heat illness symptoms, including weakness, dizziness, nausea, feeling faint, headache and an increased body temperature.”
Safety tips to keep children from dying in hot car
NoHeatStroke.org and the U.S. Department of Transportation suggested the following tips:
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Never leave children unattended in a vehicle, not even for a minute.
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Always check the backseat. Leave your wallet or purse as a reminder.
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Ask your childcare provider to call if your child doesn’t show up as expected.
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Always keep vehicles locked and keys out of reach.
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Store car keys out of a child’s reach and teach children a vehicle is not a play area.
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Call 911 if you see a child alone in a vehicle.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Child hot car deaths. Florida ranks No. 2. Know the law
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