Children and pets face danger on hot days when left in vehicle

According to KidsandCars.org, about 38 children on average die in hot vehicles from heat-related deaths after being trapped inside of a motor vehicle. Young children (newborn-6 years old) who are placed in a car seat are most at risk for this type of incident to occur. Young children do not have the capabilities to remove their own safety harnesses from their car seat. Most children fall asleep when they are riding around town in a car seat doing errands with their parents/guardians. This is potentially a huge risk due to the young child not being able to advise the parent/guardian that they are still strapped in their car seat. It is the parent/guardians responsibility to always watch over their children the entire time while operating a motor vehicle.

One tip I would suggest is to always remove your child from the vehicle every time you exit the vehicle, even if it is for 30 seconds or 30 minutes. It does not take long for a vehicle to heat up inside when all the windows are "cracked" or rolled up. A vehicle can reach an additional 20 degrees or more inside in as fast as ten minutes on a hot summer day. The only time I would suggest leaving a child strapped inside their car seat would be if there was another adult inside of the vehicle too. If you have a teenager watching the young child, chances are they may get distracted by their cell phone or some other device. If that situation does occur, most teenagers would not be able to pick up any objective symptoms the young child in the car seat may be having (i.e. sweating profusely, fever, or not breathing).

California Vehicle Code (CVC) section 15620 CVC, states the following:

(a) A parent, legal guardian, or other person responsible for a child who is 6 years of age or younger may not leave that child inside a motor vehicle without being subject to the supervision of a person who is 12 years of age or older, under either of the following circumstances:

(1) Where there are conditions that present a significant risk to the child's health or safety.

(2) When the vehicle's engine is running or the vehicle's keys are in the ignition, or both.

(b) A violation of subdivision (a) is an infraction punishable by a fine of one hundred dollars ($100), except that the court may reduce or waive the fine if the defendant establishes to the satisfaction of the court that he or she is economically disadvantaged and the court, instead, refers the defendant to a community education program that includes education on the dangers of leaving young children unattended in motor vehicles, and provides certification of completion of that program. Upon completion of that program, the defendant shall provide that certification to the court. The court may, at its discretion, require any defendant described in this section to attend an education program on the dangers of leaving young children unattended in motor vehicles.

(c) Nothing in this section shall preclude prosecution under both this section and Section 192 of the Penal Code, or Section 273a of that code, or any other provision of law.

(d) (1) Subdivision (b) and Section 40000.1 do not apply if an unattended child is injured or medical services are rendered on that child because of a violation described in subdivision (a).

(2) Nothing in this subdivision precludes prosecution under any other provision of law."

Not only could you get cited for leaving young children unattended in a vehicle, but you could also face criminal charges as well. The most common terminology for this section is known as "Child Endangerment." According to the California Penal Code PC 273(a) the following states:

"Any person who, under circumstances or conditions likely to produce great bodily harm or death, willfully causes or permits any child to suffer, or inflicts thereon unjustifiable physical pain

or mental suffering, or having the care or custody of any child, willfully causes or permits the person or health of that child to be injured, or willfully causes or permits that child to be placed in a

situation where his or her person or health is endangered, shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or in the state prison for two, four, or six years."

A lot of people not only leave their children unattended inside hot vehicles, but also their pets. Pets are as vulnerable to the heat just as much as humans are. Pets can sustain serious brain damage if left inside a hot vehicle, which can lead to death. Unlike young children, pets need to be left at home where they can remain in their own domain (i.e. access to water, AC, shade). Under this situation you could also be charged with a crime as well. The most common terminology for this section is known as "Animal Cruelty." According to California Penal Code PC 597 the following states:

"(a) Except as provided in subdivision (c) of this section or Section 599c, every person who maliciously and intentionally maims, mutilates, tortures, or wounds a living animal, or maliciously and intentionally kills an animal, is guilty of a crime punishable pursuant to subdivision (d).

(d)  A violation of subdivision (a), (b), or (c) is punishable as a felony by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170, or by a fine of not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment, or alternatively, as a misdemeanor by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or by a fine of not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment."

If you happen to see a young child and/or pet locked inside a vehicle on a hot day, you should immediately get in contact with your local law enforcement agency. They will have the necessary resources to resolve the issue. You should also stand by the vehicle until your local agency arrives on scene. If time is an issue (child appears unconscious) with the police dept/fire dept/EMS arriving, you should take the appropriate steps in doing the right thing to saving the child's life. A broken window on a vehicle can always be replaced, but a human life cannot.

If anyone has any information or comments about this article, do not hesitate to contact me or another Lemoore Police Department Officer. I can be reached by the following:

Lemoore PD – 559-924-9574

After Hours – 559-924-5333

Phone (Voicemail) – 559-924-6781

E-Mail – Jeffrey.Hernandez@LemoorePD.com