As a heat dome brings scorching temperatures to our area this week, AAA Northeast is sounding the alarm to parents and caregivers about the danger of leaving children in hot cars. And with over 61 million people expected to travel by car during this holiday week, it’s critical that families understand the risk — even for short pit stops.
Nine children have died in hot cars so far this year and there were 33 pediatric vehicular heat stroke deaths in 2025, according to NoHeatStroke.org.
On a typical 80-degree summer day, the interior temperature of a vehicle climbs by 20 degrees in only 10 minutes and reaches a deadly 109 degrees in 20 minutes. On hotter days, the interior temperature can easily reach 120 to 140 degrees and cracking the windows has little effect.
More than half of pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths from 1998 to 2025 were among children under 2 years old, according to NoHeatStroke.org. Most (53%) children who died were forgotten by a caregiver, 24% gained access to the vehicle on their own and 22% were knowingly left in the vehicle by a caregiver.
“While every family wants to believe this could never happen to them, a child dying from vehicular heatstroke is an unimaginable tragedy that can happen to any family,” said Jillian Young, director of public relations for AAA Northeast. “Especially during this busy time for road travel, we urge families to establish firm guidelines about heatstroke safety and put processes in place to ensure children and pets are never left behind, no matter how quick the stop.”
AAA recommends caregivers practice the following to prevent hot car deaths:
- Stop and look at the backseat before exiting a parked vehicle. Make it a habit to check the entire vehicle before locking the doors and walking away. Place personal items, like a purse or briefcase, in the back seat as another reminder to look before you lock. In some cases, a sticky note affixed to the steering wheel or a smartphone screen can help prevent a fatality.
- Ask childcare providers to immediately call if your child doesn’t show up for care as expected. Always seek confirmation that your child was removed from the vehicle safely by anyone transporting them that doesn’t typically do so, including spouses, grandparents, other family members and close friends.
- Never leave a child in a vehicle unattended for any length of time. Rolling windows down or parking in the shade does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle.
- Lock your vehicle to prevent unsupervised access and a child getting trapped inside. Keep car keys away from children and teach them that the inside of a car should never be used as a play area.
- Act fast, call 911 and take action if you see a child alone in a locked car. A child in distress should be removed as quickly as possible.
Statistics about pets dying in hot cars are not tracked as closely, but the American Veterinary Medical Association reports that every year, hundreds of pets die of heatstroke in parked vehicles. Exercise the same care with a pet as you would with a child.
Last updated on July 2, 2026 by AAA Staff
Based in Rhode Island, Jillian Young is AAA Northeast’s director of public relations. She regularly appears in local TV, radio and print media to discuss traffic safety, travel, insurance and more.
