Like many busy parents, you might entrust your child to a babysitter while you are at work. If your babysitter drives your child around in his or her vehicle, there is a safety concern in addition to proper safety restraint. Every year, there are reports of children dying of heat stroke as a result of an adult leaving them unattended inside a vehicle. Between 1989 and 2010, 16 Louisiana children died from heat stroke, otherwise known as hyperthermia, when an adult left them inside a vehicle, according to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.
The Louisiana heat index in the summertime can rise above 100 degrees. With that in mind, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released the following safety tips:
· Teach children not to play in, on, or around vehicles.
· Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle.
· Lock all unattended vehicles.
· Check your vehicle before locking it – make sure to look for sleeping children.
· Do things to remind yourself that a child is in the vehicle; write yourself a note or place bags and other personal items in the backseat where the child is located.
It is against the law in Louisiana to leave a child unattended inside a vehicle. A first time offense can mean a fine up to $500.00 as well as up to 6-months in jail. Repeat offenders face even stiffer penalties.
Harrell & Nowak, L.L.C. – New Orleans accident attorneys