Kids & Pets In Hot Cars: A Deadly Killer Of The Innocent

I make an impassioned plea to all listeners of both the DFW Car Pro Show and National show every year as temperatures rise about leaving kids and pets in hot cars.  

PLEASE take a minute and read the statistics below and share it with anyone who has a small child or travels with pets in the car.  I update this story every year in hopes that it may get into the hands of parents who leave small children or pets in the car and prevent another child or pet from suffering a horrible, slow, agonizing deaths. 

-Jerry Reynolds, The Car Pro

It’s May, it will likely hit 100-degrees in my hometown and many other places soon, so it is time for our annual reminder of the dangers of leaving children and pets in hot cars. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, April 2025 marked 27 years that pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths have been tracked.  Last year, 39 children died of heatstroke after being left in a hot car, up 35% from 2024.

“Every year, children lose their lives in hot cars, and these are tragedies that can be prevented,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman said. “By never leaving a child alone in a car to checking the backseat before getting out of the vehicle, we are asking all Americans to understand the risks posed by hot cars and do their part to keep children safe.”

The NHTSA says the biggest risk factor in these cases is a change in routine. 

The three main scenarios in which heatstroke occurs are:

1. Children are forgotten in vehicles by parents or caregivers
2. Children gain access to unlocked vehicles and become trapped inside
3. Children are knowingly left in vehicles by parents or caregivers

The NHTSA says that approximately 58% of heatstroke deaths occur when the child is at home, followed by 23% of deaths occurring at a parent or caregiver’s work.

Car Heat Stroke Statistics

Absorb the numbers below. Each case ended with the death of a child and the planning of a funeral:

• Child vehicular heatstroke deaths for 2024: 39
• Child vehicular heatstroke deaths for 2023: 29
• Child vehicular heatstroke deaths for 2022: 33 
• Child vehicular heatstroke deaths for 2021: 23 
• Child vehicular heatstroke deaths for 2020: 25 
• Child vehicular heatstroke deaths for 2019: 53 
• Child vehicular heatstroke deaths for 2018: 53
• Child vehicular heatstroke deaths for 2017: 43
• Child vehicular heatstroke deaths for 2016: 39
• Child vehicular heatstroke deaths for 2015: 25
• Child vehicular heatstroke deaths for 2014: 32
• Child vehicular heatstroke deaths for 2013: 44
• Child vehicular heatstroke deaths for 2012: 35
• Child vehicular heatstroke deaths for 2011: 33

The sad part is, each of those deaths was avoidable, and the vast majority were accidental.  From 1998-2023, 968 children died due to vehicular heatstroke. Of those deaths: 

• 52.17% - Forgotten by caregiver (505 children)
• 24.48% - Gained Access on their own (237)
• 20.66% - Knowingly left by caregiver (200)
• 2.69% - Unknown (26) 

Temperature and Heat Stroke

The NHTSA says that a child's body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adults.   

• Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees. 
• A child can die when their body temperature reaches 107 degrees

Many people often underestimate how quickly temperatures rise in a hot car. 

Average elapsed time and inside vehicle temperature rise compared to ambient outdoor temperature:

• 10 minutes = 19 degree increase
• 20 minutes = 29 degree increase
• 30 minutes = 34 degree increase
• 1 hour = 43 degree increase
• Over 1 hour = 45 to 55 degree increase

It is easy to see that while most think an 80 degree outside temperature is pleasant, in a short 30 minutes, the inside temperature of a car is 114 degrees.

Note this important fact: a body core temperature of 107 degrees is usually fatal.

This video demonstrates the temp inside of a car versus the outside ambient temperature:

Pets In Hot Cars

Pets in Hot Cars have catastrophic results, too.  Although stats are not kept on animals dying inside hot vehicles, it is believed to be in the hundreds.  Keep this in mind:

• Heatstroke can happen within 15 minutes in dogs. Canines that are either older or very young, as well as those with health problems, are more likely to succumb to heatstroke than dogs in prime health.
• One of the first signs of heatstroke can be restlessness and discomfort.
• Your dog may be panting or have trouble breathing, and start to cry or bark for help.
• If confusion and disorientation set in, it is critical to get your pet to their vet right away.
• If lethargy takes over, it may be too late for your dog to recover.