By The Way I See It

The dark side of summer heat

May 28, 2018 | 6:36 AM

KAMLOOPS — I cannot imagine a worse nightmare than losing a child. And yet, there it is: accidentally causing it by forgetting to remove the child from the car in hot weather. Sometimes it is parents who forget, other times trusted caregivers. There are no stats for Canada, but for such a horrific death, stats make no difference in convincing anyone about the atrocity of it (in the US, from 1998 to now, there have been 705 heatstroke deaths of children left in cars.) One child lost under such circumstances is one too many.

A couple of days ago, there came the devastating news of yet another little one who died because of heatstroke while accidently forgotten in a car. it happened in Burlington; the temperature outside was 26 degrees. Such stories are beyond horrendous. There are no words for the mental pain parents have to live with when that happens. And yet, it happens every year.

Over the last couple of weeks, the temperature in many parts of British Columbia, including Kamloops, went from high to higher. On an average day we now have over 30 degrees Celsius, and the thermometer is bound to climb some more over the course of what’s shaping up to be a long summer. Too hot too soon. Many are excited about it. The summer feel is wonderful, they say. Summer is magical for sure, but summer heat comes with a few dark sides too, so extra caution is a must.

The temperature in a car left in the sun in 35 degrees can reach go over 50 degrees in 20 minutes or so, according to a study by General Motors of Canada. In 40 minutes, the temperature goes up to 65.5 degrees. No partially open windows can alleviate such drastic increase. A baby or toddler’s body (most little ones forgotten in cars are usually under 3) heats up a lot faster than an adult’s. Heat stroke happens fast, and it makes little difference if a car is parked in the shade, according to www.kidsandcars.org. The car will heat up, perhaps not to the same sweltering temperature but high enough to cause overheating, should anyone be in the car for a while.

‘Not even one minute’ should be the rule for anyone in charge of young children. Heatstroke, also known as hyperthermia, happens when the body temperature reaches 40.5 degrees Celsius, according to Canada Safety Council. A hot car can do that to a child in a matter of minutes.

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What’s the solution? Perhaps there should be reminders all over the place. In cars, in parking lots and in the news. Parents and daycare providers should have a back and forth check-in system. A helpful suggestion from the Canada Safety Council: place your cell phone, purse, or another indispensable object in the back seat next to your baby. Retrieving it means being reminded your little one is also in the car. Also: talk about it with people around you. Awareness translates into saved lives.

As for the quick in-and-out errand… It’s tempting. Sometimes a quick errand doesn’t work as planned and the in-and-out becomes a few more minutes. Those minutes seem short in an air-conditioned environment and severely long in a heated car. Three simple words: not worth it.

Yet it’s not always forgetfulness or the in-and-out errand run. Sometimes kids can play around the car parked in the driveway and accidentally get locked inside. Car play in general is not safe, for many reasons, even in colder weather.

A related reminder: if it’s about small bodies and the high risk of overheating in hot cars… That goes for dogs too, windows open and all that. Just don’t. And yet, many do. My eldest son mentioned seeing a few dogs left in cars in parking lots near shopping centres in the last couple of weeks. On very hot days, he said. I cringed. Dogs overheat easily by walking on a hot summer day (please be mindful of dogs’ paws on hot pavement) so needless to say, hot cars can be deadly. It is a horrible thing to put our furry best friends through.

Summer is fun, for sure. The bright and jolly side of it that is. Let’s keep it that way. As with so many other things, knowledge is power. Knowing how dangerous heat can be in the wrong circumstances, we ought to learn and be aware. Truly, heat has no mercy if caution is not in place. Please have yours at an all time high and encourage others to do so.