A ‘Look Before You Lock’ campaign has been launched in Colorado warning of the dangers of hot cars, even in cooler weather.
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and AAA Colorado are reminding parents that even with summer winding down, the risk of vehicular heatstroke remains.
CDOT said the inside of a car can still heat up to 100 degrees very quickly, and it can happen in temperatures as low as 57 degrees.
As part of the campaign, an empty car was parked in Joy Park at the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus with a large digital thermometer displaying the interior temperature. Within 10 minutes, the inside of the car reached over 105 degrees.
“No child or other vulnerable passenger should ever be left alone in a car, no matter the outside temperature,” said CDOT’s Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “Vehicular heatstroke can happen in temperatures as low as 57 degrees, so please remember to look before you lock.”
CDOT has offered the following tips to prevent vehicular heatstroke:
- Keep a stuffed animal, toy or other item in the front seat as a visual reminder when your child is in the back seat.
- Put your phone, purse or work bag in the back seat next to your child.
- Never leave a child, elderly or disabled passenger in the car, even for a quick errand.
- Teach kids that a car is not a play area.
- If a person is missing, quickly check all vehicles, including the trunk.
