What you should know about hyperthermia

Texas leads the nation in hot car deaths among children. The temperature in a car can rise almost 20° F within the first 10 min., so even outside temperatures in the 60s can cause temperatures to rise above 110° F in a car. Children’s bodies overheat easily; a child’s body temperature may rise 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s body temperature.

What Texas law says

Leaving a Child in a Vehicle (PC 22.10):
A person commits an offense if he or she intentionally or knowingly leaves a child in a motor vehicle for longer than 5 minutes knowing that the child is:

1. Younger than 7 years of age and;
2. Not attended by an individual in the vehicle who is 14 years of age or older.

What you can do to prevent hyperthermia

• Teach children not to play in or around cars.
• Never leave a child unattended in or around a car.
  • Make a habit of looking in the car before locking the door and walking away.
• Never assume it can't happen to you or your child
  • Not all hot car deaths happen intentionally.  Sometimes a change in routine or busy schedule can cause a caregiver to forget that a child is still in the car.
• If you see an unattended child in or around a car, CALL 911!

Hyperthermia flyers

(click on images below to view flyers)

Links to other hyperthermia flyers are included below:

• Forget Me Not (English)
• Forget Me Not (Spanish)
• Your Child's Life (English)
• Your Child's Life (Spanish)
• Hyperthermia Tips (Bilingual)