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Police give out free signs to remind parents not to leave kids in hot cars

More than half of children who die in hot cars do so after a caregiver forgets they are there, according to the National Safety Council.
More than half of children who die in hot cars do so after a caregiver forgets they are there, according to the National Safety Council. More than half of children who die in hot cars do so after a caregiver forgets they are there, according to the National Safety Council.

A police force is hoping to help cut the number of children who die in hot cars by giving out free reminders for parents to keep in their vehicles.

The tags, being distributed by O’Fallon Missouri Police Department are designed to hang from the rearview mirror and read: “Where’s baby? Look before you lock!”

Another says: “Never leave a child alone in a vehicle – not even for a minute! Baby in the back! Heat-related deaths are preventable.”

In the continuing effort to provide the best level of service possible to our residents, the OPD is offering these…Posted by O'Fallon Missouri Police Department on Tuesday, June 25, 2019

According to O’Fallon Police, 13 children have died this year after being left in hot cars, including one in neighbouring St Louis County.

They wrote in a Facebook post: “In the continuing effort to provide the best level of service possible to our residents, the OPD is offering these rearview mirror reminders to ensure your most prized possession is safe.”

According to the National Safety Council, of around 800 children who died in hot cars in the United States in the last 20 years more than half happened because a caregiver forgot they were there.

It advises parents and caregivers to stick to their routine, avoid distractions and place a shoe on the back seat if a child is there to force the driver to look back before leaving the car.