NASHVILLE, Tenn. — There is nothing like walking into a building on a hot summer day and feeling an air-conditioned breeze after driving down a hot highway. There is also nothing quite like wondering if you left something in your car.
Tennessee leaders are urging drivers to double-check their cars before leaving them on hot days to make sure they get their children and pets out. Accidentally leaving them inside a hot car can result in tragedy.
Between 2005 and 2013, officials said 13 Tennessee children died from heat-related issues. Nine of those deaths were in vehicles, officials said.
So, they're urging drivers to "Look Before You Lock," a reminder to double-check that their cars are empty before locking the doors. They said it only takes 10 minutes for the inside of a car to reach deadly temperatures on an 80-degree day and that it takes even less time for heatstroke to begin.
The first symptoms of heatstroke are usually dizziness, disorientation and sluggishness. Then, people may lose consciousness experience hallucinations. Their heart rate may also begin to get more rapid, officials said.
“Any of us can be distracted, so we need to take some simple memory steps like putting something we need when we leave our cars, such as a briefcase or purse, besides our children to prevent a distraction from becoming a tragedy," said Commissioner John Dreyzehner.
Anyone who sees a pet or child alone inside a locked car should call 911, officials said. And if they seem distressed, people should get them out as quickly as possible.
“If anyone ever sees a baby alone in a hot car, don’t be concerned a parent might get mad about you calling 911. The parent might consider you a lifesaver," said Michael Warren, the director of the Division of Family Health and Wellness.
A new Tennessee law also protects people who break into cars to rescue endangered children, granting them immunity from paying the costs to repair damage in some circumstances, as long as they have called the police.