Contact Tammy Gay
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For more information, call (606)257-1000 or
1-800-333-8874.
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LEXINGTON, KY (Aug. 24, 1999) -- The Fayette
County SAFE KIDS Coalition, led by the University of Kentucky Children's Hospital, and
local Lexington businesses have taken a stand against parents and caregivers leaving
children unattended in vehicles. SAFE KIDS and community volunteers distributed fliers
to Lexington businesses and asked managers to display them in their windows until the end
of summer. About 1,000 Lexington businesses were contacted by coalition members and parent
volunteers.
SAFE KIDS members agree that leaving children unattended in vehicles has become a
serious problem in Central Kentucky.
"One death is too many," said Jo Lynn McKee, coordinator of the SAFE KIDS
coalition, and a nurse at UK Hospital. "Parents and caregivers must realize if the
temperature outside is 93 degrees, the temperature inside your car can reach 125 degrees
in 20 minutes and 140 degrees in 40 minutes even with windows down one and a half inches.
This presents a life-and-death situation to children. At these temperatures, children can
and will die of heat stroke."
Infants and small children are vulnerable to heat. In a closed environment, heat can
overwhelm the body's ability to regulate temperature, causing the body to go into shock
and vital organs to fail, McKee said.
Since June, at least 19 children nationwide have died after being left alone in parked
vehicles. Half of the deaths occurred after children crawled into an unlocked car.
"In hot weather, children can die or suffer permanent disability in a matter of
minutes," McKee said.
Fayette County SAFE KIDS Coalition members recommend the following safety guidelines:
- Never leave your child unattended in a car, even with the windows down.
- Keep cars locked at all times, even when parked at home.
- Teach children not to play in or around cars.
- Call 911 if your child gets locked inside the car.
- Check the temperature of the car seat surface and safety belt buckles before restraining
children.
SAFE KIDS is an organization composed of volunteers from several health and safety
agencies in Fayette County. The organization’s mission is to help prevent
unintentional injury to children. Unintentional injury is the No. 1 killer of children
ages 14 and under. Each year, accidents kill more than 6,300 children age 14 and under and
permanently disable nearly 120,000.
For more information, call (606)257-1000 or 1-800-333-8874. |
