Known as the Sunshine State, Florida is a beautiful place to spend the summer. However, with high temperatures and an elevated heat index, the Florida sun can also be very dangerous.One of the biggest sun hazards is the effects it has on automobiles and objects inside it, as the sun can heat up a vehicle to deadly temperatures in a matter of minutes, even when the outside temperature is less than 75 degrees. For instance, studies have shown that when it is 85 degrees, it takes less than 10 minutes for a car’s temperature to reach the triple digits (100s) and less than 30 minutes for it to exceed 120 degrees (https://www.crh.noaa.gov/).
Since 1998, more than 600 children have been killed or severely injured due to heatstroke or heat-related injuries after being left in a vehicle, including 13 deaths this year (https://www.ggweather.com/heat/). Children under the age of two are the ones most commonly affected by heatstroke in a car, because they often fall asleep, cannot talk, or they are not part of the caregiver’s normal routine. Additionally, children’s temperatures rise 3-5 times faster than adults (https://www.kidsandcars.org/).
Nevertheless, anyone can be affected by the dangerous temperatures inside a car, whether it is an elderly individual, adult, adolescent, child, or infant. As such, Columbia County and Lifeguard Ambulance Service would like to provide the citizens and visitors of Columbia County with safety tips in order to prevent these tragedies.
Car Safety Tips:
Do NOT leave a vehicle unlocked:
If you see an unattended child in a car:
Parent/Guardian Tips:
Often times, children are left in the car by accident, such as when a parent or guardian is in a hurry or is not following their daily routine. Regardless, it is important to create a safety check system to assure that this does not happen to you.
The Florida heat can be very dangerous, especially for anyone left inside a vehicle. Always be alert when you are transporting individuals, especially infants, children, and elderly adults.
If you see a child unattended in a car, call 911 for help immediately.
The following information regarding the Aviation Consumer Protection Division is provided to comply with 49 U.S.C. Section 42302. The DOT Aviation Consumer Protection Division’s contact information is as follows:
Aviation Consumer Protection Division, C-75
U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE. Washington, DC 20590
202-366-2220 (TTY 202-336-0511), 1-866-TELL-FAA (1-866-835-5322)