Full Notification

NEVER leave a child alone in a car —

Even for a minute!

Almost 50 children died this way last year.

• Dial 911 immediately if you see an unattended child in a car. EMS professionals are trained to determine if a child is in trouble.

• Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even with the win­dow slightly open.

Believe it or not, routines and distractions have caused people to mistakenly leave children behind in cars.

• Place a cell phone, PDA, purse, briefcase, gym bag or whatever is to be carried from the car on the floor in front of a child in a backseat. This triggers adults to see children when they open the rear door and reach for their belongings.

• Set your cell phone or Blackberry reminder to be sure you dropped your child off at day care.

• Set your computer calendar program, such as Outlook, to ask, “Did you drop off at daycare today?”

• Have a plan that if your child is late for daycare that you will be called within a few minutes. Be especially careful if you change your routine for dropping off little kids at day care.

Prevent trunk entrapment.

• Teach children not to play in any vehicle.

• Lock all vehicle doors and trunk after everyone has exited the vehicle – especially at home. Keep keys out of children’s reach. Cars are not playgrounds or babysitters.

• Check vehicles and trunks FIRST if a child goes missing.

www.safekids.org/