Already this year at least 17 children have died after being left in hot cars , according to KidsandCars.org .
The youngest were babies just 3 to 4 months old and the older children ranged from 3 to 4 years old.
A record number of 52 children died in hot cars in 2018, and more than 900 children have died in hot cars since 1990.
The advocacy group applauded Reps. Tim Ryan (D-OH), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Peter King (R-NY) for introducing "the Hot Cars Act (H.R. 3593), which will prevent tragic heatstroke deaths by ensuring all new cars are equipped with a system that detects and alerts to the presence of a child unknowingly left in a vehicle."
"No one thinks a hot car tragedy can happen to them or their family. That is precisely why technology is necessary. The fact that technology exists to save the lives of children, but is not being included in all new vehicles is inconceivable,” stated Janette Fennell, founder and president of KidsAndCars.org. “I am heartbroken knowing that families are holding their precious children right now that will no longer have them by the end of summer,” she continued.
KidsandCars.org urges parents, guardians and caretakers to use caution this summer:
As of today, at least 17 children have died already this year due to vehicular heat stroke – and the hottest days of summer still await. Now is the time to pass the Hot Cars Act (H.R. 3593) and assure that dozens of families will no longer have to experience the anguish of losing a child in these preventable incidents each year.
Heatstroke SafetyTips 2019 by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd
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This story was originally published on WXYZ .
