Forgetting Children in Cars – Dangers, Warnings, and How to Ensure It Doesn't Happen to You

Sometimes it feels like a nationwide epidemic – almost every summer, we hear another
story of a toddler who was forgotten or locked in a car and tragically found dead due to dehydration or heatstroke. The fact that these tragedies are preventable and can happen to anyone makes these stories particularly tragic.
So how do parents forget the most important thing to them – their children? How can we prevent the next tragedy, and can installing a system to prevent forgetting children in cars help? And of course, what should we do if we find a child alone in a car? Let's address all these questions.

The Risks of Leaving Children Unattended in Cars

Leaving a child alone in a car, even for a short time, can have severe consequences. The temperature inside a closed car rises rapidly, especially in the summer, leading to an immediate danger of dehydration, heatstroke, and a real risk of death.
Children are particularly sensitive to dehydration and heatstroke – their small bodies are not as efficient at regulating temperature as adults, meaning they can quickly be at risk of heatstroke and death.

So how many degrees are we talking about here?

In a study conducted at the Holon Institute of Technology, researchers examined the temperature inside a closed car. The findings showed that when it's 86 degrees Fahrenheit outside (not even the hottest day in the Israeli summer), the temperature inside the car rises almost 4 degrees every 5 minutes. This means that within an hour, the temperature inside the car can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit!

What Causes Parents to Forget Their Children in Cars?

Even if you're saying to yourself right now, "That will never happen to me," the truth is it can happen to anyone. Forgetting children in cars can stem from many reasons. Changes in daily routines, distractions, and of course, the fatigue every parent knows – all of these factors may increase the risk of an accident.
Often, we operate like some kind of "automatic pilot" – we wake up in the morning, organize the kids, put them in their car seats, go to work, and so on, day after day. All it takes is something to distract us, like an important work call or a change in the usual routine – maybe the child is sick today and needs to go to the doctor instead of daycare – and we simply don't notice that the child was left in the back seat.

When Can It Still Happen?

It's important to know that sometimes a child may enter a car without supervision and simply can't get out. You know how it is – the car remains unlocked for just a moment, maybe while we're unloading the groceries, and perhaps one of the kids finds the car remote and starts playing with it without us noticing. Then, without us realizing it, the child gets into the car. Meanwhile, the car doors lock automatically, and the child is in immediate danger without us even knowing about it.

Tips: How to Remind Yourself That Your Child Is Still in the Back Seat

Preventing the tragic scenario of forgetting a child in a car starts with adopting habits that reduce the risk of an accident. Here are some tips that can help:

• Place an item belonging to the child in the front seat, such as a diaper bag or toy. Seeing the item in front of you will help you remember that the child is with you.
• Get into the habit of always checking the back seat before exiting the car and locking the doors, even when you're without the children.
• Establish a routine with your partner: every time you pick up or drop off the child, update each other.
• Place your bag or phone in the back seat, next to the child.

What Gadgets and Tools Can Help Me Remember That the Child Is Still in the Car?
In addition to the important habits we've mentioned, there are several additional aids you can use:
Attach a "Baby in Car" sign to the rearview mirror so that the sign is reflected in the car mirror – every time you look in the mirror, you'll see the sign reminding you that the child is with you in the car.
Set a reminder on your phone to check the back seat before exiting the car.
Install devices that assist in preventing forgetting children in cars – these are systems that automatically detect when there's a child in the car and can sound an alarm if necessary.
There are new cars equipped with a system to prevent forgetting children in cars installed by the manufacturer.

Is It Recommended to Install a System to Prevent Forgetting Children in Cars?

As of 2022, there is a requirement to install a system to prevent forgetting children in cars in vehicles transporting children under the age of 4, and there is also a list of approved systems for this purpose.
It's important to know that the use of these systems should be in addition to adopting safe habits, not to replace them – they provide an extra layer of protection. The reason for this is, among other things, because there are times when a child gets locked inside a car without any adults present – meaning the child wasn't forgotten but entered the car alone. In such cases, the systems may not necessarily be able to detect the danger.
As long as we remember that these products do not replace the need to ensure the child's safety and as long as they are themselves safe – we should use every solution that can help us.

What Should You Do If You Find a Child Unattended in a Car? – Emergency Protocol

If you find a child left in a car, or if it's your child, here's what you need to do:

1. Call the ambulance immediately (101) – the operators will summon medical assistance and meanwhile give you further instructions.
2. Cry out for help – don't stay alone. It's recommended that, alongside your rescue attempt, at least one person stays in touch with emergency services and helps direct them to your location.
3. Unlock the car as quickly as possible. If the key is available – great; if not – don't hesitate to break a window, but of course, do it carefully – find the farthest area from the child so they won't get injured by the glass.
4. If the child is sweating and hot to the touch, it's important to cool them down as quickly as possible. Move the child to a shaded or air-conditioned area if possible, remove their clothes, and cool them down with a damp cloth.
5. If the child is alert, speaking, and interacting with their surroundings, you can give them water to drink. If not – refrain from this due to the risk of choking.
6. Avoid pouring water over the child, especially not on their face. Also, avoid attempting to cool them down with ice or cold water too quickly.

As we've seen, anyone can find themselves in this difficult situation, and everything must be done to prevent it. We've seen how quickly the temperature rises inside a closed car – the danger is real. Don't leave a child alone in a car, not even for a moment. Adopt safety habits, and get used to keeping an eye on the cars around you and searching for the child who may have been forgotten.
Let's prevent the next tragedy together.