EAST TEXAS (EAST TEXAS NEWS) – Heat is something East Texans know all too well during the summer months. Yet, heat remains the leading weather-related cause of death across the United States.
According to the National Weather Service, in 2022 and 2023 Texas ranked second in heat-related deaths, surpassed only by Arizona. So, if we are so used to the heat, why are there so many fatalities? Two main factors: complacency and distractions.
Regardless of how well we think we can handle high temperatures, children of any age have a harder time regulating their body temperature, especially when they’re in a hot car. Each year, dozens of children die because they were left behind in a parked vehicle. These tragic stories often make the news, but many parents might think: “I would never do that to my child.” However, these accidents and tragedies continue to occur year after year.
It’s important to be aware of everything we face during the early hours of our daily routine: alarms, traffic, texts and calls, schedule changes, and a clock that never seems to have enough time, which leads us to rush through the day and make hasty decisions or even serious mistakes.
According to kidsandcars.org: At least 1,139 children have died in hot cars since 1990, and more than 7,000 have suffered various degrees of heat-related injuries.
Unfortunately, police authorities are often the first to realize that these statistics are real families devastated by tragedy. We spoke with the Tyler Police Department to uncover the best ways to keep our children safer during the summer.
Interview with Andy Erbaugh:
“As a parent of a young child, one might say: ‘I would never do that.’ But when you have a baby and you’re running a quick errand and you have to take them with you, they fall asleep, and that’s where silence comes from… and it’s so easy to forget. Always check the back seat. Look at yourself in the rearview mirror. Turn around.”
“Every time we receive one of those calls, it’s an emergency. We arrive. The firefighters come. Everyone comes because we need help for that child.”
“We need help from the public. They are the source of most of our calls.”
It’s hot. There is a population that cannot escape it. Let’s look after them. If you walk down the aisle of a parking lot, simply observe. And if you see a child jumping there with no parents, perhaps it’s something we should check.
Whatever your daily routine, it’s essential to realize that we are all human and can make mistakes. Always check the back seat before leaving the vehicle. It could save a life.
