A heat dome continues to bring dangerous conditions across much of the country, with heat-related illnesses claiming an average of 181 lives annually in the U.S. Children are particularly vulnerable, as their bodies heat up three times faster than adults’. Tragically, about 40 children die in hot cars each year due to unintentional heatstroke, often because caregivers unknowingly leave them behind. Despite advocacy efforts for vehicle heat safety technology, such as alerts for child presence in the backseat, progress has been slow. Visual cues like placing items in the front seat can help prevent these devastating incidents until legislative changes are made.
