Safe Kids Pitt County, Eastern Carolina Injury Prevention Program at Vidant Medical Center urge eastern North Carolina to protect children | Eastern North Carolina Now

   For Immediate Release:

Hot Cars Can Quickly Become Deadly for Children

    Who: Safe Kids Pitt County and the Eastern Carolina Injury Prevention Program at Vidant Medical Center
    What: Media event offering tips and information on how to protect children from heat stroke

    When: First day of summer, Wednesday, June 20

    Time and location: 2-4 p.m. at Kohl's, Galleria Drive, Greenville, NC

    Join Channel 12 WCTI meteorologist Skip Waters at Kohl's to learn more about the dangers of keeping children in hot cars. A smores demonstration will be provided.

    Since 1998, more than 500 children across the United States have died from heat stroke when unattended in a vehicle. Safe Kids Pitt County reminds caregivers to never leave children alone in cars. As a determined advocate in preventing heat stroke, Safe Kids Pitt County and Safe Kids Coalitions nationwide have united to educate parents and caregivers with preventive tips to avoid these tragedies.

    These incidents are happening far too often - throughout the year and in nearly all 50 states. Safe Kids Coalitions across the U.S. have worked diligently to host hundreds of "Never Leave Your Child Alone" events, which include ad campaigns, brochures, tip sheets, posters and flyers, and heavy engagement from the local community.

    "As these tragedies continue to occur, Safe Kids Pitt County is intensifying its efforts to get the message out that the inside of a vehicle is an extremely dangerous place for a child alone in hot weather," said Ellen M. Walston, Safe Kids Pitt County. "Even on a mild day, the inside of a car can quickly become very hot. This is a place no child should be alone, and because children's bodies heat up three to five times faster than adults, this makes them much more susceptible to heat stroke."

    "Reaching parents and caregivers with ways to prevent these tragedies will no doubt help keep kids safe. These heartbreaking incidents can happen to anyone, and public education is vital to combating these preventable occurrences," said Walston.

    Nine out of ten parents report that they never leave their child alone in a car, but for the one parent who does, things can end tragically. Never leave your child alone in a car, even for a minute.

    The number of deaths and near-misses can be decreased by remembering to ACT.

    Avoid heat stroke-related injury and death by:

    § Never leaving your child alone in the car, even for a minute.
    § Consistently locking unattended vehicle doors and trunks.

    Create reminders and habits that give you and your child's caregiver a safety net:

    § Establish a peace-of-mind plan. When you drop off your child, make a habit of calling or texting all other caregivers, so all of you know where your child is at all times.
    § Place a purse, briefcase, gym bag, cell phone or an item that is needed at your next stop in a back seat.
    § Set the alarm on your cell phone or computer calendar as a reminder to drop your child off at childcare.

    Take action if you see an unattended child in a vehicle:

    § Dial 911 immediately and follow the instructions that emergency personnel provide - they are trained to determine if a child is in danger.

    For more information on preventing child heat stroke deaths, please visit www.ggweather.com/heat and www.safekids.org/heatstroke.

    About Safe Kids Pitt County

    Safe Kids Pitt County works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability to children ages 1 to 14. Safe Kids Pitt County is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury. Safe Kids Pitt County was founded in 1996 and is led by Vidant Medical Center.

    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 more than1.4 million child safety seats at more than 75,000 events. The program has donated more than 520,000 seats to families in need.

    Contact:    Beth Anne Atkins, Vidant Health Public Relations, (252)847-7735 or beth.atkins@vidanthealth.com

    Vidant Health, a mission-driven, not-for-profit corporation, owns, leases or has a majority membership interest in nine eastern North Carolina hospitals and has a management agreement with one other. The health system includes Albemarle Health, Vidant Beaufort Hospital, Vidant Bertie Hospital, Vidant Chowan Hospital, Vidant Duplin Hospital, Vidant Edgecombe Hospital, The Outer Banks Hospital, Vidant Medical Center, Vidant Pungo Hospital, Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Vidant Home Health and Hospice, Vidant Wellness Centers, Vidant Medical Group and is affiliated with the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. On the web at www.vidanthealth.com.