The latest data reveals that Louisiana tops the country in the number of children who die of a heat stroke in a vehicle. That’s according to NoHeatStroke.org, a website that tracks pediatric vehicular heatstroke (PVH) deaths. The latest figures show that 37 deaths were recorded since 1998, averaging 4.22 per 100,000 people 14 and under.
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), a six-month-old baby in East Baton Rouge Parish died Tuesday after being left in a hot car all day. The temperature reached a high of 94 degrees in Baton Rouge, with a heat index (feels like temperature) of 112 degrees, according to Weather Underground. The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office says the baby’s parent only realized what had happened when they went to the boy’s daycare after work and he was not there.
This case becomes the 18th infant in the U.S. to die from heat stroke in a vehicle this year. The yearly average, according to the NSC, stands at 37 children under the age of 15. Amber Rollins is the director of the child safety group known as Kids & Car Safety. She expects more infant deaths as summer continues, so she urges parents to take the issue seriously before tragedy strikes. “You know, you’ve got families who think this is a non-issue for them and no one’s taking precautions to prevent it because they love their children. They think about them all the time. How could they forget them?”
Rollins says a change in a daily routine is the number one cause. She encourages parents to take any precautions necessary. She points to the example of putting a stuffed animal in the passenger seat as a reminder of your baby in the back seat. A national campaign by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also reminds parents to “Look Before You Lock.” On May 1, 2024, NHTSA released an updated call to action for this campaign: Once You Park, Stop. Look. Lock.
