Never Leave Your Child Alone in A Car Campaign

  It seems like common sense, doesn't it?  Never leaving a child alone in a car?  But in our busy world caregivers and parents unfortunately leave children in their vehicles unattended more often that you would think.  Texas AgriLife Extension, Ector County (thats us!) is participating in the Safe Kids campaign to remind our community that it is never okay to leave a child alone in a car!

"These tragedies happen more often than one would think, even at temperatures in the low 50s. And unfortunately, the number of heat stroke deaths from children being unattended in vehicles is trending upward - as of today, 500 children have fallen victim to this tragedy," said Meri-K Appy, president of Safe Kids USA.  "That's why our goal is to create awareness and educate the millions of drivers on ways to stop these heartbreaks."

"Don't be fooled into thinking that this can never happen to you. Unfortunately, I did." says Reggie McKinnon, a father who accidently left his 8-month-old in a vehicle last year during a work day. "Before this accident, every time I would read of a child dying in a parked car of hyperthermia, I too would ask, ‘how could they forget their child?'  I would never do that. That only happens to people who are uneducated, drunk, drug addicts, not me." 

For more information on this campaign please contact me at:  sfclawson@ag.tamu.edu