In 2025 alone, 31 children died of heatstroke after being left in vehicles, according to CarPro USA. This brings the total number of these types of deaths since 1998 to over 1,000.
Most of these devastating incidents are accidental, but they may often be prevented with a few precautions. Tragedy can happen in a matter of minutes, so learn how to keep children and pets safe from the risks associated with prolonged heat exposure inside a hot vehicle.
How hot do cars get, and what are the potential hazards
According to Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann Medical Center, when a car is parked on a warm day, the interior can heat up by 20 degrees within 10 minutes. For example, on an 80-degree day, an inside car temperature can increase to 100 degrees in only 10 minutes. And, because children overheat 4-5 times faster than adults, it could only take 10 minutes for a child’s condition to become life-threatening.
Pets are equally vulnerable to overheating in vehicles, especially ones that are elderly, short-muzzled, or have dark or thick fur. According to People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, for pets, brain damage or death can occur from heatstroke in just 15 minutes.
So even if it doesn’t seem dangerously hot outside, a car’s ability to rapidly magnify heat increases the potential for injury or death, in children and pets alike.
How do hot cars affect children and pets?
When children and pets are left in hot vehicles, they are at risk of numerous health complications that vary in severity. It is important to note that these risks are not mitigated by leaving the windows down or parking in the shade.
If exposed to extreme heat in a vehicle, a child could suffer from:
- Shock
- Seizure
- Heart attack
- Brain damage
- Death
For pets left in vehicles with rising temperatures, the risks are similar, and include:
- Heat exhaustion
- Heat stroke
- Brain damage
- Death
How do hot car tragedies happen?
According to Kids and Car Safety, most child deaths in hot cars are the result of the child being unknowingly left in the car by a caregiver. Adults are busy and can often become distracted and forget that their child is in the backseat, or miscommunication could occur between parents or guardians, leading them to think one adult has removed the child from the car when they have not.
According to Woof Doctor, similar circumstances may be at play for pet parents — they are busy or mentally preoccupied and forget their pet is in the vehicle. But many pet caregivers also leave their pet in the car for quick errands thinking they’ll be right back, without realizing the temperature is higher than they thought, or accidentally taking longer than they intended.
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How to prevent a hot car tragedy
Although these incidents are accidental, there are steps you can take to prevent them from occurring to your children and pets.
- Make it part of your daily routine to check your car before you leave it and lock it
- Never leave your child or pet unattended, even with the windows down
- Set a reminder or alert on your phone
- Leave an important item (such as your phone, wallet, etc.) in the backseat so you are forced to check it
- Lock your car every time it is unoccupied to prevent children who are playing outside from climbing in without your knowledge
- Communicate with your spouse or partner so the location of your child or pet is always known by all parents and/or guardians — this eliminates the risk of the child or pet being accidentally left in the vehicle
What to do if a pet or child has been locked in a hot vehicle
If a child has been left in a car for an extended period of time, call 911, then remove the child from the hot vehicle and splash them with cool (not iced) water.
For pets, contact local police or animal control, remove the pet from the vehicle if you can (check state laws to make sure this is legal first), then find an air-conditioned building and provide cool water to drink and to splash on them.
Although it is good to know what to do in a dangerous situation, it is even more important to take the proper safety precautions to avoid a tragedy completely. By never leaving a pet or child unattended, setting phone reminders, and communicating clearly with other caregivers, you can help prevent a sunny day from becoming a devastating accident.
References
- CarPro USA
- Red Duke Trauma Institute
- PeTA
- Kids and Car Safety
- Woof Doctor
The information provided is for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, risk management, or insurance advice. Implementation of any suggestions does not guarantee coverage, prevent loss, or modify the terms, conditions, or exclusions of any insurance policy. Coverage is determined solely by the terms of the applicable policy.