Two toddler brothers, ages 3 and 1, died on Saturday after getting into a hot car on their own in Alabama, according to the national tracker KidsAndCars.org.
The "tragic" accident marks the 16th and 17th cases of a child dying due to ovenlike temperatures in vehicles this year, pushing the total to 124 since 2018.
Shelby County authorities responded about 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Coroner Lina Evans told local news site AL.com. The parents told authorities they thought the two boys had been playing in their rooms but discovered them unresponsive inside the vehicle.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is investigating, but Evans told AL.com that it appeared to be “just a tragic accident.” Temperatures were in the high 80s in Shelby County on Saturday.
Look before you lock: Child safety advocates worry about hot car deaths amid COVID-19 stress and rising temperatures
On average, 26% of U.S. hot car deaths are the result of children getting into vehicles on their own and not being able to get out. KidsAndCars.org reported.
However, this year there has been a dramatic increase with 47% of U.S. child hot car deaths – eight of the 17 – involving toddlers who got into vehicles on their own.
KidsandCars.org has a list of resources to help childproof cars. Among the advice: keep vehicles locked at all times, never leave car keys within reach of children, and teach children to honk the horn if they become stuck inside a car.
But an increasing number of deaths have been from adults forgetting children in cars, or leaving them alone in the car for "just a minute."
According to David Diamond, a professor in the University of South Florida’s psychology department, the overriding stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to impact how our memory functions. That, he said, can lead to fatal mistakes.
"When we’re experiencing stress, the most imminent stressor tends to become the most important one — it’s just how the human brain functions," he said. "For example, when you’re late to work, it’s easy to hyperfocus on that and lose sight of other more important things."
One tip to avoid vehicular heatstroke, according to KidsandCars.org: Make it a habit to open the back door every time you park to ensure nobody is inside. To enforce this habit, place an essential item (like key or a cellphone) in the back seat so you can’t start your day without taking a look before you lock.
Contributing: Nisha Venkat, USA TODAY
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