Christine Delise
Sr. Public Relations Specialist, MD
O: (410) 616-1900 (ext. 4361153)
C: (443) 244-7253
cdelise@aaamidatlantic.com
TOWSON, MD (August 29, 2018) - Parents who have made the tragic mistake of forgetting a child in a hot car often cite a change in routine as a contributing factor.
With that in mind, and as temperatures soar, AAA is reminding all parents and caregivers whose routines have been disrupted by ‘back to school’ to slow down and ‘Look before you Lock’ your car to ensure every child’s safety.
“Next week, as the 2018-2019 school year begins in Maryland, parents and children will be adjusting their sleep schedules and their daily routines, increasing the risk that a dozing or quiet child might be forgotten in the back seat,” says Ragina Cooper Averella, Public and Government Affairs Manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “In this extreme heat, the consequences could be deadly in a matter of minutes.”
According to the National Safety Council, there have already been 36 deaths in the United States of children left in hot cars this year.
In fact, heat stroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle related deaths for children under the age of 15, with an average of 37 fatalities per year since 1998.
In the past two decades, 779 children left in vehicles have died of heatstroke, hyperthermia, or other complications. In Maryland, there were 14 pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths between 1998 and 2017.
Studies have shown about 51 percent of child hot car deaths in vehicles were caused by adults forgetting the children.
As a precaution, AAA is encouraging parents to leave their phone, their computer or something they will notice right away that they are missing in the back seat with the child.
Some scary statistics:
AAA Urges Motorists To ACT:
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Mailing Address:
8600 LaSalle Road, Ste 639
Towson, MD 21286
AAA provides automotive, travel and insurance services to 58 million members nationwide and more than 975,000 members in Maryland. AAA advocates for the safety and mobility of its members and has been committed to outstanding road service for more than 100 years. The not-for-profit, fully tax-paying member organization works on behalf of motorists, who can now map a route, find local gas prices, discover discounts, book a hotel and track their roadside assistance service with the AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android. For more information, visit AAA.com.
Ragina C. Ali
Public Relations Manager, MD
O: (410) 616-1900 (ext. 4361152)
C: (443) 465-5020
RAli@aaamidatlantic.com
Who's in the Driver's Seat? The Transformation of Transportation
On Tuesday, October 17, 2017, AAA and TEDx Wilmington held the first TEDx Salon dedicated to ideas worth spreading in transportation.
This event had:
View a slideshow from the event
This TEDx WilmingtonSalon was organized in partnership with AAA
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