Arizona warning: Double-check for kids in cars, things heat up quickly

• Child-safety officials urged motorists to double check that kids don't get left in cars.
• Demonstration shows temperatures climb quickly in parked cars.
• So far, four Arizona children have been found unattended in hot cars; one died.

Armed with a temperature gauge, Greg McKay climbed into the back of a car with its windows rolled up to demonstrate how quickly a vehicle can heat up in the Arizona sun.

With news cameras fixed on his every move, the new director of the state Department of Child Safety went back and forth between two cars, reading temperatures from inside a closed-up Pontiac G6 and from an identical one with its windows cracked.

And then the demonstration got a dose of reality: McKay got locked inside one of the cars, something that has happened to dozens of Arizona children, sometimes with fatal results.

For McKay, it was only until an aide could unlock the door. But two weeks ago, a toddler died after his father left him in the car for hours on a day when the temperature hit 93 degrees. The 2 1/2-year-old struggled for two hours to get out of the car, Phoenix police said, while his father, who had been drinking, was inside the family home.

In addition to Alpha Koryor, three other children so far this year have been found unattended in hot cars, McKay said, adding that "Just simple awareness could prevent many of these events."

The demonstration showed it doesn't take long for a car to get unbearably hot: Within 10 minutes, the vehicle with its windows rolled up heated up to nearly 108 degrees. In 25 minutes, it was 124 degrees.

It wasn't much better for the second car: 103 degrees after 10 minutes and nearly 121 degrees after 25 minutes.

This on a day with Phoenix temperatures near the 90-degree range, underscoring the risk even on days without "overwhelming heat," McKay said.

"If you see children in hot cars, please call 9-1-1," McKay said, urging anyone traveling with a child in a car seat to double-check the back seat, something often overlooked. "Never exit that car without doing a sweep," he said.

Statistics compiled by San Jose State University ranked Arizona third nationally for child deaths due to heatstroke from being left in a hot car. Since 1998, 29 Arizona children have died this way, including Alpha Koryor.

On Wednesday, the state Department of Transportation flashed the "double check" warning on freeway message boards. Harkins Theaters plan to run promotional ads beginning Memorial Day.

Reach the reporter at maryjo.pitzl@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-444-8963.

Tips to prevent leaving a child in a hot car

Many parents and caregivers who have left children in hot cars say they simply forgot the child was there. Here are a few ideas on how to reduce the risk of forgetting a child:

• Leave something in the back seat, like a purse, briefcase or cellphone.

• Put a reminder of the child on the front seat, such as a stuffed animal or the diaper bag.

• Keep keys and remotes out of a child's reach to prevent them from locking themselves in a car.

• Ask the child-care provider to call you if your child has not arrived at the child-care facility as scheduled.

• If you see a child in a hot car, call 9-1-1.

Source: The Stir