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Accidents in Port St. Lucie and Elsewhere Likely with Children, Cars and High Temps

Just last year, there were nearly 50 children under the age of 14 who were killed in heatstroke-related accidents in Port St. Lucie and elsewhere because they were left in a hot car.

We live in Florida, it’s hot and it’s the summertime. All of these factors greatly increase our young one’s risks for one of these accidents. For that reason, safety advocates with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have teamed up with officials from Safe Kids Worldwide to help to raise awareness in caregivers about these kinds of accidents.

The two organizations will be hosting events around the country to help to do just that — to highlight the dangers of heatstroke, or hyperthermia.

“Parents and caregivers are the first line of defense against heatstroke deaths and injuries, but everyone in the community has a role to play in keeping our children safe,” said USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood.

Our Port St, Lucie injury attorneys understand that parents, guardians and caregivers are the first line of defense against these kinds of accidents. You have the power to save these kids’ lives. Since 1998, there have been nearly 550 children under the age of 14 who died in these kinds of accidents. Now, officials are stepping up and working to get parents into the habit of checking their vehicles before walking away. The new partnership between the NHTSA and Safe Kids Worldwide is working to enhance the NHTSA’s 2011 campaign, “Where’s baby? Look before you lock.”

You might be thinking that this could never happen to you or your child, that you’re too careful to let one of these accidents happen. But the truth of the matter is that these kinds of accidents happen every day to every walk of life. Most of the time, these kinds of accidents are in fact just that — accidents. And they’re unintentional. The truth is that they oftentimes involve the most loving and conscientious parents.

To help you to avoid one of these accidents, officials with the NHTSA and Safe Kids Worldwide offer you the following safety tips to remember whenever you leave your vehicle.

-Whatever you do, you never want to leave a child alone in a vehicle, even if the a/c is on and the windows are cracked.

-You want to make sure that you check your vehicle, every time, before you get out. Be sure to look both in the front and the back seats.

-Keep an important item, like your purse of your briefcase, in the back seat so that you’re forced to turn around before exiting the vehicle.

-Tell your kid’s childcare provider, whether it’s a daycare center or a babysitter, to contact you if your child does not show up as expected.

-Teach your kid that a vehicle is not a play area.

-Keep your car keys out of reach of children.

The legal team here at Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez fight for the rights of personal injury victims and their families who have been injured in Palm Beach County and elsewhere in the surrounding areas. If you or someone you love has been injured in a motor vehicle-related accident, call us at 1-800-561-7777 to schedule an appointment for a free consultation to discuss your case.

More Blog Entries:

Child Injuries in Riviera Beach and Elsewhere Targeted by Poison Prevention Week, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, March 23, 2012

Child Injury in Palm Beach County Possible with Recently Discovered Child Product Defects, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, March 21, 2012

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