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Column: These two steps will help prevent tragedy with children in cars

 
Last year, there were nearly 9,000 citations
in Florida for children not in the proper belt.
Last year, there were nearly 9,000 citations in Florida for children not in the proper belt.
Published June 22, 2017

As you go through the many tasks to start your day, you get into the car, head out of your driveway, focus on what you need to accomplish and it occurs to you that you barely remember even driving to your destination. It's easy to get lost in our daily routines, but these routines can have fatal consequences for the ones we love.

As the agency heads of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Department of Children and Families we are, too often, forced to respond to preventable child deaths in cars due to children not being properly secured or left unattended in a vehicle.

When a child dies from being improperly secured in a crash or from heatstroke, in many cases the situation occurred because people just like you let themselves slip into a routine. These tragedies are completely preventable if you take a few simple steps to protect your loved ones.

• FIRST, BEFORE THE CAR MOVES, BUCKLE UP, EVERY TIME. Ensuring that children are properly buckled into an appropriate seat belt for their age is critical every time they ride in a car. Children under age 2 should sit in rear-facing car seats and children under age 6 must be in an age-appropriate car or booster seat. All children under age 13 must sit in the back seat and all children under 18 must wear a seat belt, no matter where they are in the car.

Last year, there were nearly 9,000 citations issued statewide because children were not secured in the proper seat belt. Preliminary numbers from 2016 also indicate 36 children died from not wearing the proper seat belt or wearing no seat belt at all.

Children model the behavior learned from their parents and pass that behavior on to their own children, so make sure everyone buckles up. Explain to children why it is important, even when riding in someone else's car. Instilling a lifelong habit of safety may save their life many years down the road.

• SECOND, NEVER LEAVE A CHILD UNATTENDED IN A CAR FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME. Last year, 39 children died in the United States from heatstroke after being left in a hot car. Common excuses are that you may be going into a store for just a minute, or that you can simply leave the car running, but neither option is safe. For a child left in a car, especially in Florida, the risk of heatstroke is almost immediate. Even a seemingly quick trip into the store can be dangerous and painful for a child left in the car.

The most heartbreaking cases are those when a parent, who is stuck in a routine that was inadvertently interrupted by a change — a sick child going to a different place instead of daycare, for example — forgets a child in their car. Cases like this, where a child dies after a caregiver unintentionally leaves them in a car, represent more than half of child deaths as a result of heatstroke in a car.

It's a natural response to think that this would never happen to you, but taking a few extra moments each day to set a reminder will help ensure your child's safety. For some people, putting a personal item such as a purse or wallet in the back seat with their child serves as a good method; others use seat belt reminders and even smartphone apps. Whatever method works for you, make sure you use it and don't let yourself get stuck in a routine.

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This summer, DHSMV and DCF are joining together to educate our community and reduce preventable deaths in Florida; however, we can't do it alone. Please help us in our mission to save lives by sharing these important safety tips with your family, friends, childcare providers, teachers and neighbors, so together we make a safer Florida.

For more information on how to properly secure a car seat or buckle a child, visit www.flhsmv.gov or call your local Florida Highway Patrol station to make an appointment for a free car seat check and installation.

For more information on tips to prevent hot car injuries or deaths, visit http://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/child-welfare/high-temperatures.

Terry L. Rhodes is the executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and Mike Carroll is the secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families.