The Department of Transportation on Tuesday encouraged people to do whatever it takes to save children trapped in hot cars, even when those cars belong to other people.
“If you see a child alone in a car, act. Act quickly,” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Administrator Mark Rosekind wrote.
“Act to save that child’s life. Make it your business,” he added. “Good Samaritan laws offer legal protection for those who offer assistance in an emergency.”
Rosekind said children being trapped in hot cars mostly happens to people who leave their children “in a moment of forgetfulness.”
He said that no one should ever hesitate to help kids who are trapped.
“Do not think twice,” he wrote. “In 10 minutes, the temperature inside a vehicle can rise over 20 degrees.”
“Even on a mild day when the temperature is as low as 60 degrees, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach 110 degrees,” he said. “If a child’s body temperature reaches 107 degrees, that child will die.”
Rosekind said people shouldn’t wait more than a few minutes for the owner of the car to return. If the child is in distress, people should call 911, and “get the child out of the car.”
“It is normal to feel hesitant about getting involved, particularly when it involves another person’s child,” he wrote. “But when you know that a heatstroke tragedy can happen to any family — even yours — then the right choice is to take action to save a life.”
Rosekind said his agency is looking at technology that would alert drivers when they leave a child alone in a vehicle.
