Display in Durham memorializes children who died in hot cars; groups remind NC drivers to check backseat

DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — The first thing anyone does this time of year when starting their car is blast the air conditioning. The inside of a car can easily overheat after just a few minutes in the sun.

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With temperatures rising, Duke Health-Safe Kids Durham County and the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal are spreading awareness about the dangers of children left in hot cars and pediatric heat stroke. 

On Tuesday, the agencies set up a memorial of sorts with 50 shoes. Each pair represented a child in North Carolina who died in a hot car since 1998. On average, two to three children die in hot cars every year in North Carolina.

The latest pair on display represented a child in Guilford County who died last September.

“To me, it’s very impactful. I have a hard time looking at it because even though it’s just the shoes, each shoe has a child associated with it,” said Alan Buchanan, director of Safe Kids NC.

He’s reminding parents about how dangerous it can be to leave a child in a car, even on days without sweltering heat. The organization says 75 percent of child deaths in hot cars are preventable.

He urges families to never leave a child in a car — even for a quick errand.

“It’s unintentional, unfortunately. Nobody sets out to have this happen. It’s just a change in a routine,” he said. “Mom usually takes the child to the daycare, and suddenly today, the dad has to take them. And we all know distractions happen,” Buchanan said. 

To show how fast a car can heat up, the organization roasted s’mores inside a car. As the temperatures outside climbed, so did the temperatures inside, much more quickly. It took less than 20 minutes for the s’mores to fully melt.

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“The temperature inside a car, especially in direct sunlight, can get upwards of 100 and 340 degrees, within a matter of maybe 20 to 30 minutes,” Dr. Erica Hodgman, director of the pediatric trauma program at Duke University.

Dr. Hodgeman says serious illness from leaving a child in a hot car can happen quicker than you think.

“If you have left your child in a car, and they aren’t immediately awake, alert, talking to you, acting normally, I would say that’s a child you should call 911 for immediately,” she said. “Heatstroke at that level can be fatal.”

With kids playing outside and temperatures rising, this is the time of year she sees more children come to the emergency department with a variety of heat illnesses.

“As heat stroke starts to progress, they can actually start to look a little bit pale. They’re definitely going to sit down. You might notice that they’re breathing a little bit faster or a little bit more heavily. Those would be signs that you definitely need to get your kid inside and start to cool them down,” said Dr. Hodgman. 

Whether it’s the temperatures inside a car or the temperatures outside, experts urge families to keep a close eye on kids as temperatures continue to rise this summer.

Experts recommend leaving a reminder, like a phone or a purse, in the backseat so drivers always have a reason to look in the back seat. Drivers should also keep keys with them so a child does not let themselves into a hot car.

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Lastly, drivers should check their back seat every single time leaving a car.