kids in cars Archives - Comedy Defensive Driving®

LEAVING A CHILD IN A HOT CAR

Daun Thompson — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 22:37:44 +0000

Every summer we hear of this horrific mistake when we turn on the news. And, a mistake or human error is exactly what this is. We are only human and we all make mistakes. Of course this particular one is definitely a whopper. But it’s not as if the parent or guardian isn’t already remorseful, and they usually serve prison time as well. I am not siding with the guilty party, nor am I saying that what they did is not to be made an example of. In fact, that seems to be the best way to get the word out. The point is, at least this starts a conversation about what measures one can do to avoid this. I read an article about the father who left his twins in a hot car in New York City recently and how his community rallied for this grieving man. This father had made the biggest mistake of his life.

Humans Make Mistakes

I am a single parent and recall getting little sleep with all of the diaper changes and timed feedings. And, if I had worked outside of the home, I most certainly could have made mistakes due to my absent-mindedness. We’re all in such a big hurry and have too much on our minds. I realize that leaving a coffee cup on top of the car and then driving away is in no way a comparison to leaving a sleeping child in the car. Although we have probably all done something like this coffee cup faux pas because we have so much on our minds. Before laws were enacted to put children in the back seat due to the dangers of air bags, these fatalities were rare.

So, who is doing something about this?

Kids And Cars is a a national nonprofit organization devoted to saving the lives of young children and pets in and around vehicles. You can find a wealth of information that you can use and perhaps share with parents, guardians, family and friends on this website. They also accept donations. You can check out their website at

Home

And what can are car manufacturers doing about this? There are suggestions and even products sold for simple, everyday reminders that you can use or share. Cars are equipped with sensors that automatically lock and unlock the airbag in the front passenger side. These sensors monitor the weight distribution on the seat. Although not all cars are equipped with these sensors in the back seat, it is said to be an issue that has attracted the attention of congress. And new bills have been aimed at requiring car manufacturers to put that technology into new automobiles.

The Director of the Kids and Cars advocacy, Amber Rowlins has some interesting thoughts on this matter. She says parents don’t leave their children in cars because they don’t care about the legal repercussions of being charged with manslaughter. They have no idea they’re leaving them behind. And fear of going to jail is not going to stop that from happening.

Education and car manufacturing safety standards are the key in stopping this dreadful mistake.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

LEAVING A CHILD IN A HOT CAR – Comedy Defensive Driving

The post LEAVING A CHILD IN A HOT CAR appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.

HOT DOG! – Leaving a dog in a hot car

Daun Thompson — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 20:42:29 +0000

Going to the SPCA today inspired me to write this week’s blog about leaving dogs in a hot cars. I left my Great Dane in a hot car one time and when I returned, he was a chihuahua. Thank you. Good night. Try the veal! No, but seriously, this is no laughing matter.

Pets are part of the family and we love to take them with us when we leave the house. With the dog days of summer, even if the temperature is only 78 degrees, and even with your car windows cracked (and in my neighborhood, the hoodlums crack them for you), the interior temperature can reach between 100 and 120 degrees in just minutes. According to PETA, on a 90 degree day, interior temperatures can reach 160 degrees in less than 10 minutes. I dwell in Big D, where it has been 108 degree temperatures for the last eight days. So my fido has been left at home in front of the t.v., wearing a dog bikini, sipping pina coladas and watching old re-runs of Wishbone. Okay, he’s not really sipping cocktails.

Dogs should never drink, because one cocktail is like 7 to a dog. Dogs suffer brain damage or death from heatstroke in just 15 minutes. They can only cool themselves by panting and by sweating through their paw pads. PETA offers leaflets that can be placed on vehicles to remind people to never leave an unattended pet inside a car, “Don’t Let Your Dog Get Hot Under The Collar.” Or, you could make your own clever little flyers with your own sinister twist on them, “Don’t Leave Me In Here – It’s Hot!”, or “I’m Going To Bite You While You Sleep For Doing This To Me”, or “10 Easy Hot Dog Recipes For Idiots.” Leaving a dog in a hot car can also get you a whopping fine here in my city. I am one of the many people who take their pet with them when I can. I’ve taken him with me to 7-11 to get a gallon of milk. Not full-on grocery shopping. I even left the car running with the air conditioning blasting and locked the car with the clicker. I was unaware that, also in my city, you can get a huge fine for leaving your car running unattended, or for even leaving your keys in the car. Who knew?? Of course, I also thought I’d just run in and run out, which didn’t go as planned. Because the lady in line ahead of me wrote a check and I was in there for 45 minutes! Who writes checks these days??

Remember, don’t leave your dog in a hot car. You don’t want Red Rover to cross over…do you??

Daun Thompson

Leaving a dog in a hot car – Comedy Defensive Driving

The post HOT DOG! – Leaving a dog in a hot car appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.

Where’s Baby? Look Before You Lock!

Daun Thompson — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:27:08 +0000

When I was a kid, safety was an option. Sure, we had seat belts in the car, but they were conveniently tucked down into the seat. My mom’s arm was our seat belt. And she could knock the wind out of you. My dad used to call her the seat belt. Now he calls her the air bag. She’d also go into the grocery store for hours and leave us in the hot car. That big Oldsmobile was an awesome babysitter and it didn’t charge ten dollars an hour to do it. Today, if you left your kids in a hot car, mommy would go to prison for a long, long time. And maybe she’d get out just in time for your college graduation.
It’s only the beginning of May and temperatures are already crazy hot. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced its first ever national campaign to prevent child heatstroke deaths in cars, urging parents and caregivers to think “Where’s baby? Look before you lock.” Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle related deaths for children under the age of 14, with at least 33 fatalities reported in 2011 alone.
This campaign will not only help prevent parents to avoid unnecessary heartache, but it will also hopefully reach babysitters, nannies, school carpool drivers, grandparents and relatives that may be transporting small children.
Not only did 33 children die last year due to heatstroke (medically termed “hyperthermia”), there were 49 deaths in 2010. And, an unknown number of children are injured each year due to heatstroke in hot cars, suffering ailments including permanent brain injury, blindness, and the loss of hearing, among others.
Here are a few safety tips to follow. Additional tips can be found at www.safercar.gov/heatstroke.
• Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle – even if the windows are partially open or the engine is running and the air conditioning is on.
• Make a habit of looking in the vehicle – front and back – before locking the door and walking away
• Ask the childcare provider to call if the child does not show up for care as expected.
• Do things that serve as a reminder a child is in the vehicle, such as placing a purse or briefcase in the back seat to ensure no child is accidently left in the vehicle, writing a note or using a stuffed animal placed in the driver’s view to indicate a child is in the car seat. I have a friend who attached a pacifier to her key ring as a reminder.
• Teach children a vehicle is not a play area and store keys out of a child’s reach.

In addition, should you see a child left unattended in a hot vehicle, please call 911 immediately. If the child is already suffering heat stroke, they should be removed from the car and attempts made to cool them down.

Until next week…don’t put baby in a corner and don’t leave baby in a hot car.

Daun Thompson

The post Where’s Baby? Look Before You Lock! appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.