There has been an overlooked and unintended side effect of modern automotive engineering. Car windows that roll down by hand and little side vents that can be left open to keep the heat to a modest hundred degrees in the Alabama sun went out of style with dial telephones. And the side effect has been deadly
When I started writing this little piece yesterday eighteen children had died in cars from hyperthermia this summer. When this morning's news required a revision to nineteen. Sadly that is probably only half the number that will die before the end of August. The average number per year is 37.
Texas is the worst offender. It is hot. It is big. And well, it is Texas. But per capita Alabama loses far too many children to heat in cars. More per capita than Texas. A Google search for "Child left in hot car" returns eleven million results. Child left in car at strip club gets thirty thousand. The local news reported a Birmingham man, Jamie Capps, who left his two year old boy inside the car at "Wesley's Boobie Trap" lounge while temperatures soared to one hundred-four. The child did not die but there are no reports of what the mother did to Mr Capps upon his release from jail.
Of course it is not just places people shouldn't be. And it is not always men. A number of people, men and women have run in for a minute to get a haircut or pick up a few things at the grocery store, run into a friend or run into trouble and before they can get back a half hour has passes.
Children don't have the heat reserves of adults. Typically a full grown adult that can live four hours in sweltering heat that will kill a child in twenty minutes. But the problem is not just stupid parents and caretakers. The cars themselves are also the problem. Seat belts, child restraints, electric windows and door locks, child proof exit doors. and my personal aggravation, that little computer lady who locks all the doors except the drivers side when you get out. There should be no reason that a car is designed so that the back doors won't open from the inside if the car is turned off. A local child in Russellville Alabama died when he got in the car and couldn't get out. We outlawed refrigerators that did that. Building codes require that you be able to exit in a fire. Maybe we should outlaw death trap cars too.
It might annoy the dickens out of you but I think it might bee a good idea to teach your toddler how to blow the horn.
When I started writing this little piece yesterday eighteen children had died in cars from hyperthermia this summer. When this morning's news required a revision to nineteen. Sadly that is probably only half the number that will die before the end of August. The average number per year is 37.
Texas is the worst offender. It is hot. It is big. And well, it is Texas. But per capita Alabama loses far too many children to heat in cars. More per capita than Texas. A Google search for "Child left in hot car" returns eleven million results. Child left in car at strip club gets thirty thousand. The local news reported a Birmingham man, Jamie Capps, who left his two year old boy inside the car at "Wesley's Boobie Trap" lounge while temperatures soared to one hundred-four. The child did not die but there are no reports of what the mother did to Mr Capps upon his release from jail.
Of course it is not just places people shouldn't be. And it is not always men. A number of people, men and women have run in for a minute to get a haircut or pick up a few things at the grocery store, run into a friend or run into trouble and before they can get back a half hour has passes.
Children don't have the heat reserves of adults. Typically a full grown adult that can live four hours in sweltering heat that will kill a child in twenty minutes. But the problem is not just stupid parents and caretakers. The cars themselves are also the problem. Seat belts, child restraints, electric windows and door locks, child proof exit doors. and my personal aggravation, that little computer lady who locks all the doors except the drivers side when you get out. There should be no reason that a car is designed so that the back doors won't open from the inside if the car is turned off. A local child in Russellville Alabama died when he got in the car and couldn't get out. We outlawed refrigerators that did that. Building codes require that you be able to exit in a fire. Maybe we should outlaw death trap cars too.
It might annoy the dickens out of you but I think it might bee a good idea to teach your toddler how to blow the horn.
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