With summer temperatures in full swing, the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association is launching a new public awareness campaign to help prevent children from dying in parked cars.
The #CheckTwiceSaveALife campaign, launching July 31, features a :30-minute English and Spanish language radio ad, as well as social media elements, reminding parents and caregivers of the dangers of leaving children in their cars during the summer months.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 950 children have died from heatstroke after being left or trapped in hot cars in the past 25 years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warns that temperatures inside a car can reach 110 degrees within 10 minutes, even when the outside temperature is in the 60s. The association is urging parents and caregivers to take steps to prevent this tragedy, including locking car doors, never leaving a child alone inside, and consistently checking the back seat before locking the doors.
The Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association is also reminding parents and caregivers of other ways to prevent car heatstroke deaths, including keeping anything that the child needs to start their day in, such as their mobile phone or computer bag, on the back seat. The association recommends that parents also put a visual cue that their child is with them in the car, such as their diaper bag, on the front seat.
The #CheckTwiceSaveALife campaign is part of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association’s ongoing efforts to improve safety for children and families. The association hopes that this awareness campaign will help to prevent car heatstroke deaths and save lives.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
