NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee will distribute free hangtags to drivers to help prevent heat-related child deaths in vehicles.
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security says the state received more than 75,000 hangtags that can be picked up at any driver services center in the coming weeks.
The agency says it’s illegal to leave a child unattended in a vehicle in Tennessee.
“This will serve as an excellent way to prevent a tragic, preventable death from occurring. Children are our future. We owe it to them to be their voice and protect them at all costs,” Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Jeff Long said in part.
The department of homeland security also partnered with the Secretary of State’s Office to create an additional 500,000 hangtags with a QR code that takes residents to the online voter registration system and reminds drivers to check the backseat for children.
The hangtags will also be distributed statewide to birthing and children’s hospitals and the Tennessee Department of Health’s county health departments.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of children dying from heatstroke in vehicles has increased in recent years.
