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    NHTSA and PennDOT urge Families and Caregivers: Look Before You Lock

    May 01, 2023

    ​Montoursville, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) joins the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in urging parents and caregivers to learn about and share critical information about the dangers of leaving children alone in hot cars. Share this lifesaving message with everyone you know: Look Before You Lock. For the most recent data on vehicular heatstroke, visit www.noheatstroke.org.

    Since April 1998, heatstroke has killed more than 940 children. Each death was preventable. By the end of 2022 alone, 33 children had died due to vehicular heatstroke.

    PennDOT urges all parents and caregivers to do these three things to help prevent child heatstroke:

    • Make it a habit to look in the back seat EVERY time you exit the car;
    • NEVER leave a child in a vehicle unattended;
    • ALWAYS lock the car and put the keys out of reach. 

    If you are a bystander and see a child in a hot vehicle:

    • Make sure the child is okay and responsive. If not, call 911 immediately;
    • If the child appears to be okay, attempt to locate the parents or have the facility's security or management page the car owner over the PA system;
    • If there is someone with you, one person should actively search for the parent while the other waits at the car;
    • If the child is not responsive or appears to be in distress, attempt to get into the car to assist the child — even if that means breaking a window. Pennsylvania's "Good Samaritans" law protects people from lawsuits for getting involved to help a person in an emergency, provided they made a good faith effort to contact the vehicle owner and emergency responders and use no more force than necessary.

    Know the warning signs of heatstroke, which include red, hot, and moist or dry skin; no sweating; a strong rapid pulse or a slow weak pulse; nausea; confusion; or acting strangely. If a child exhibits any of these signs after being in a hot vehicle, quickly spray the child with cool water or with a garden hose — NEVER put a child in an ice bath. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.

    For more information on traffic safety, please visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/Safety.

    Contact: Kim Smith, kiasmit@pa.gov or 570-368-4344 

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