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Hot cars: A deadly danger

Last updated: February 2013

On average, 27 children die of heat stroke each year after being left in a hot car. While it may be hard to imagine, many deaths have occurred when over-stressed parents forgot that their children were in the backseat.

Consumer Reports warns that cars heat up quickly. Even if it is only 70 degrees outside, a car can quickly heat to more than 120 degrees. Jennifer Stockburger, Consumer Reports' Director of Operations at our Auto Test Center, says that researchers are working on devices such as weight sensors or heartbeat monitors to detect the presence of a child in the backseat, but nothing currently exists to warn the driver that a child has been left behind.

Consumer Reports suggests putting something like a toy on the front seat as a reminder that there is a baby in the car. Also leave your purse or briefcase in the backseat next to your child. It's important to realize that cars can get dangerously hot even on a cloudy day or with a window open. So Consumer Reports says that it is never safe to leave a child—or a pet, for that matter—even if you expect to be right back.

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