Deaths of at least 2 children in US believed to be hot-car related in 2025. Summer hasn't even started yet
According to data from NoHeatstroke.org, 39 children died of heatstroke in vehicles in 2024. Experts say a child’s body heats up three to five times faster than an adult’s, making the young vulnerable to heat when left in a parked car.
Mom raises awareness to prevent hot car deaths following toddler's 2019 tragedy
Kids and Car Safety activist Angela Jones is advocating for child safety in vehicles by commemorating her daughter Charlotte's memory and striving to avert further hot car tragedies. Jones highlighted the common factor in hot car deaths as parents deviating from their routine and is urging vehicle manufacturers to incorporate sensors to mitigate these unfortunate incidents.
WASHINGTON – As temperatures rise and summer approaches, advocacy groups are sounding the alarm about an annual and deadly danger: children left alone in hot cars.
Already in 2025, authorities in at least two jurisdictions are investigating whether extreme temperatures played a role in the deaths of children who were left alone for hours in vehicles.
According to data from NoHeatstroke.org, 39 children died from heat-related issues in 2024 - an increase of 35% from the previous year.
While the number is lower than the record-setting years of 2018 and 2019, which saw 53 deaths each, the trend remains concerning.
According to the advocacy group Kids and Car Safety, a child’s body heats up three to five times faster than an adult’s, making young children particularly vulnerable to heatstroke.
Even on days that don’t feel especially hot, temperatures inside a closed vehicle can soar to deadly levels in a matter of minutes.
For example, on a day when the outside temperature is just 70 degrees, the interior of a vehicle can reach 100 degrees in about 20 minutes.
According to experts, a vehicle’s interior can heat up by around 40 degrees in an hour if there is no air circulation.
MINUTES MATTER: WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF YOU SEE A CHILD LOCKED IN A HOT CAR
Graphic showing how temperatures inside a car can hit up quickly.
(FOX Weather)
Heat illnesses happen when the body generates more heat than it can release. A core body temperature of 104 degrees or higher, combined with the absence of sweating, are telltale signs of heatstroke, according to Children’s Health.
Since 1990, heat-related incidents involving vehicles have claimed the lives of more than 1,125 children, prompting renewed calls for action to stop what advocates say are entirely preventable tragedies.
In a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation, families from across the country urged federal authorities to mandate the use of occupant detection technology in all new vehicles.
"After more than two decades of public education, children are still dying at alarming and record-breaking rates," said Janette Fennell, founder and president of Kids and Car Safety. "We know what works. Technology can—and must—be an essential part of the solution."
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In an aerial view, a Caltrans changeable message sign on Highway 101 displays a warning about extreme heat on July 2, 2024, in Corte Madera, California.
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Occupant detection systems utilize a range of technologies, including motion sensors, lidar and carbon dioxide monitoring, to detect the presence of a human or pet in the vehicle after it has been turned off. If a living being is detected, the system alerts the driver or notifies emergency services through a series of safety features.
Advocates emphasize that many modern vehicles already come equipped with alert systems for tire pressure, oil changes, seat belts and other monitoring functions, so including technology to detect a child or pet is likely not an excessively complex addition.
You can calculate the heat index or feels-like temperature by knowing the temperature and the relative humidity.
(National Weather Service / NOAA)
According to NoHeatstroke.org, most hot car deaths occur when a caregiver forgets a child inside, with only a small number of cases involving intentional acts.
If you encounter a child or adult suffering from a heat-related illness, you are urged to call 911 immediately.
While waiting for emergency services, move the person into a shaded area or indoors to help stabilize their situation.
Keeping children safe in the heat
As temperatures begin to soar, it's important to keep your kids safe, especially when they plan to have extended periods of time outdoors this summer. Phoenix Pediatrician Dr. Gary Kirkilas joins FOX Weather to provide some helpful tips.