To help raise awareness about heatstroke in vehicles, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital will set up a demonstration, using a unique new education tool, at Safety City, 165 S. Concord Street, from 10 a.m. until noon on Thursday, July 21.

Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children. On average, every 8 days a child dies from heatstroke in a vehicle, according to Safe Kids Worldwide. Nineteen children have already died this year across the nation from heatstroke in a vehicle. Many more will survive, but suffer life-long injuries from being trapped in a hot car.

Children’s Hospital is always looking for new ways to educate the public about this silent killer. The hospital’s Injury Prevention team has a new tool to demonstrate how hot the interior of a parked vehicle can get. The digital temperature display, manufactured by Abex Exhibit Systems, stands 6 feet tall with two LED digital temperature readings. One displays the outside temperature. The other uses a sensor, placed inside a parked vehicle, to display the quickly increasing temperature inside the car. The new display will be used during community outreach events at schools, car seat safety checkpoints and during events at the request of the hospital’s community partners.

Safe Kids Worldwide reminds us all to prevent heatstroke deaths by using the A.C.T. method:

• Avoid heat stroke deaths by NEVER leaving a child alone in a vehicle and always lock unattended vehicles.
• Create reminders by placing something in the backseat of the car you need at your next location so you will check before leaving the car. A purse, cell phone or briefcase is a good example.
• Take action. If you see a child left alone in a car, call 911 immediately.

More information about heatstroke and other injury prevention can be found at www.etch.com.