Oklahoma top five in hot car deaths in kids under 14

OKLAHOMA CITY ( KFOR ) — The heat isn’t only exhausting, it is dangerous. According to a recent study, Oklahoma ranks 3rd in the nation for hot car deaths behind only Louisiana and Mississippi.

Experts at Parrish Law Firm took data, dating back to 1998, and says that 29 children have died due to heatstroke in vehicles with 2005 and 2020 being the worst years for hot car deaths.

Oklahoma sees temperatures rise into the triple digits every summer, but it doesn’t take 100 degree weather for it to get blistering hot inside a vehicle turned off.

It only takes minutes before it can become deadly.

“It doesn’t surprise us with the heat here, we get some hot summers,” said Scott Douglas with the Oklahoma City Fire Department (OKCFD).

The OKCFD has responded to more than 80 lockouts in the last two months, something Douglas says isn’t uncommon this time of year.

“Unfortunately, the busy world we live in, people tend to forget things, very important things, such as your kiddos,” Douglas said.

In just 10 minutes, the temperature inside your car can rise 10 degrees hotter than what it is outside.

“We can get upwards of 100 degrees real fast,” Douglas said. “So, as soon as that air conditioner shuts off, those temperatures start rising quickly and it becomes an extremely dangerous environment for anybody inside.”

Douglas adds, even parking your car in the shade or cracking the windows won’t prevent the car from heating up.

“Who’s at risk here is the kiddos,” Douglas said. “They have a really hard time regulating their temperature. So, their temperature begins to increase three to four times faster than an adult does.”

When they do receive lockout calls, they get to the location as soon as they can and get the door open by any means necessary.

“Life safety is our priority there,” Douglas said. “So, we’re going to get to the child as fast as we can. That being said, we do our very best to prevent any damage to the vehicle.”

Douglas also asks the public to be aware of their surroundings. If they see someone in a car that is not running, call 9-1-1.

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