Stark sheriff: Never leave kids or pets in vehicle in hot weather
I would like to take a few moments of your time to touch on a very important topic as we approach summer and the much warmer temperatures.
We have already experienced some very warm days this spring season and I want to be sure to share this important warning to our community.
More: There's science behind why parents leave kids in hot cars
It is never OK to leave children or pets locked inside a vehicle, unattended, on a hot day. As we all know, the interior of a vehicle can heat up very quickly on these sunny, hot days in Ohio. That creates a very unsafe condition for helpless children or animals left in a car.
According to the National Weather Service, a child left behind in a hot car can die within 10 minutes.
On a sunny, 70-degree day, the temperature inside a vehicle can skyrocket to 104 degrees within a half hour. On a 90-degree day, it can reach 109 degrees in the vehicle in a mere 10 minutes.
These are life-threatening conditions that are completely preventable. I can’t stress enough how critical it is that you always take care to get your children and animals out of the car. It is never safe to leave them unattended in a vehicle but that danger increases exponentially this time of year.
To help keep your kids safe during the summer, you should never allow them to play inside your vehicle. Consider keeping your doors locked so that a curious child does not find themselves trapped in a vehicle in your driveway.
Do not leave a child in the car, even for what you think will be a quick trip in the store. If you are having a rushed day or running behind, make it a point to always double check and make sure you did not forget a child in your car.
This becomes particularly important if you have strayed from normal routines. While to many this may seem unlikely, there have been unfortunate cases where parents have forgotten a small child rode with them somewhere and they got left behind in the car.
We must take every step possible to protect the most vulnerable in our society, our children. Working together, we can make a safer Stark County.
George Maier is the Stark County sheriff.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark Sheriff George Maier warns about leaving kids, pets in vehicles
