Where Does Your State Rank in Vehicular Heatstroke Cases?
Where Does Your State Rank in Vehicular Heatstroke Cases?
Every year, an average of 39 children are left in cars and suffer from vehicular heatstroke death. Every year the news covers the stories; we all mourn for the child and think, “I would never do that!” But the reality is, it can happen to anyone at any time. Some states are usually more perceptible to hot car deaths due to their population and average temperature. Living in a generally cooler climate doesn’t automatically excuse you, however. Most states have seen at least one child perish too soon from being left in a car.
Keep reading to see where your state ranks and tips to try to prevent this from happening again.
| Ranking | State | Hot Car Deaths (1998-2020) |
| 1 | Texas | 132 |
| 2 | Florida | 96 |
| 3 | California | 54 |
| 4 | Arizona | 42 |
| 5 | Georgia | 35 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 32 |
| 7 | Louisiana | 32 |
| 8 | Tennessee | 30 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 29 |
| 10 | Alabama | 28 |
| 11 | Virginia | 28 |
| 12 | Missouri | 26 |
| 13 | Kentucky | 23 |
| 14 | Ohio | 20 |
| 15 | Mississippi | 20 |
| 16 | South Carolina | 19 |
| 17 | Arkansas | 18 |
| 18 | Illinois | 16 |
| 19 | Indiana | 15 |
| 20 | Maryland | 14 |
| 21 | New Jersey | 14 |
| 22 | Nevada | 14 |
| 23 | Kansas | 12 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | 11 |
| 25 | Utah | 11 |
| 26 | New Mexico | 11 |
| 27 | New York | 10 |
| 28 | Michigan | 10 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | 9 |
| 30 | Idaho | 7 |
|
31 |
Colorado |
7 |
|
32 |
Iowa |
7 |
|
33 |
Minnesota |
6 |
|
34 |
Washington |
5 |
|
35 |
West Virginia |
5 |
|
36 |
Connecticut |
5 |
|
37 |
Hawaii |
5 |
|
38 |
Oregon |
4 |
|
39 |
Massachusetts |
4 |
|
40 |
Montana |
3 |
|
41 |
South Dakota |
3 |
|
42 |
Nebraska |
3 |
|
43 |
Delaware |
2 |
|
44 |
Maine |
2 |
|
45 |
Rhode Island |
1 |
|
46 |
Wyoming |
1 |
|
47 |
North Dakota |
1 |
|
48 |
Alaska |
0 |
| 49 | New Hampshire | 0 |
| 50 | Vermont | 0 |
Know that one vehicular heatstroke death each year from babies and kids left in cars is too much. Now that you know your state ranking for hot car deaths, let’s do something about it together.
First, read this article for tips on habits you can create to help prevent you from leaving a child in the car.
Next, spread the word. Tell your friends and family how they can help keep kids from being left in cars. It’s easy, share a blog or a fact about it and where to get more information.
Finally, talk to your place of business about installing signage at their doors to remind parents to check their cars for kids.
It takes a village, and together we can help.
