NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Every year, an average of 37 children die from heatstroke after being left behind or becoming trapped in a car. During the summer, that's nearly two lives lost each week.
Since 1998, more than a thousand children have died in hot cars. While May through September are the most common months for these tragic events, Hot car deaths don't just occur in the summer heat.
Consumer Reports testing found that even when it was 61° F outside, the temperature inside a closed car reached more than 105° F in just 1 hour, an extremely dangerous and potentially fatal level for a child.
“Children’s bodies can’t efficiently regulate their temperature," said Emily Thomas, PhD, Consumer Reports, Auto Safety. "Their bodies can heat up three to five times faster than adults.”
In most cases, it wasn’t intentional—nearly half of these tragedies happened when a caregiver simply forgot to drop the child off at daycare or preschool.
Many of these heartbreaking incidents occur on Thursdays and Fridays, at the end of a long workweek, when stress and routine changes can cloud our judgment.
Some car manufacturers have introduced technology that goes beyond just reminding drivers if they leave something behind in the back seat.
“This advanced technology has the potential to save lives not by just reminding parents to check the back seat, but by actually detecting rear occupants,” said Thomas.
While this advancement is not widely available, you can find it on some Hyundai, Genesis, and Kia vehicles, and even the 2025 Toyota Sienna. Consumer Reports’ advice for all parents: Create a routine with your own reminders every time you drive.
“You can create a routine of visiting the back seat on every single trip by placing something of yours like a purse, or a jacket or cell phone in the backseat even when your child is not with you, that way when your child is traveling with you, your brain has already remembered to always go to the backseat,” explained Thomas.
It’s an easy change in your routine that could save a life.
The first death of 2025 was in New Jersey in March when the air temperature was only 68 degrees. When the police arrived at the scene, they recorded the temperature inside the car had risen to more than 96 degrees.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at jennifer.kraus@newschannel5.com
Happy Birthday to the YMCA of Middle TN. They just celebrated their 150th anniversary! A lot has changed with the Y over the years. I have personally seen some of that firsthand when I was a long-time board member at the Northwest Family Y and part of their Black Achievers Program. Forrest Sanders has a look back.
- Lelan Statom
