FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A record heat wave that spread across the East Coast of the United States during the first week of summer has child advocates warning parents and caretakers about the risks of heatstroke to children left inside hot vehicles.
So far this year, nine children have died after being left unattended in vehicles in California, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, New Mexico, New Jersey and North Carolina, according to Kids and Car Safety, which collects data on hot car deaths. Five died in June.
And last year, 39 children in the U.S. died after being left in hot cars.
Why hot cars are so dangerous for children
Human-caused climate change keeps dialing up temperatures and extreme weather, scientists say. But the temperature outside doesn’t have to be super hot for a child left in a vehicle to be affected by the heat, said Kathy Wall, director of Safe Kids Palm Beach County…