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CTV News
3 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Anyone could forget a kid in a hot car, research shows
No parent thinks they'd forget their child in a hot car. But the tragic truth is that it can happen to anyone. Since 1998, about 1,024 children have died in hot cars—and more than half of them were left behind unknowingly by their caregiver, according to There have already been 14 hot car deaths among children in the U.S. in 2025 so far, with eight occurring in June alone, the organization says. But recent research highlights that the daily stresses parents face can make these memory lapses more likely. Forgetting a child isn't a negligence problem but a working memory problem, says David Diamond, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Diamond, a leading expert in cognitive neuroscience, has studied the role of memory in such tragedies. 'The most common response is that only bad or negligent parents forget kids in cars,' Diamond says. 'It's a matter of circumstances. It can happen to everyone.' During the summer, many families change their daily routines because of vacations or other reasons, and that disruption is a common factor in these tragic incidents, Diamond's research has found. Janette Fennell, founder and president of Kids and Car Safety, a group that tracks these incidents, says, 'The worst thing any parent or caregiver can ever do is to think that something like this could never happen to them or someone in their family.' These tragedies occur at an alarming rate, and they involve a range of circumstances. reports that deaths have spanned from 5-day-old babies to 14-year-olds. And deaths from heatstroke can happen any time of year, even as early as February and as late as November. Kids and Car Safety's heatstroke fact sheet highlights that caregivers involved in these incidents come from many walks of life. They include teachers, dentists, social workers, law enforcement officers, nurses, clergymen, military officers, and even a rocket scientist. These tragic cases can happen to anyone, regardless of their education or socioeconomic status. And it's not just a summertime problem. Even on days with mild temperatures, the heat inside a closed vehicle can reach dangerous levels within an hour, posing major health risks to small children or pets left inside, Consumer Reports' testing shows. When working memory fails Diamond says the problem involves two parts of a person's working memory: prospective and semantic. Prospective memory helps us remember to do something in the future, while semantic memory allows drivers to make the trip from work to home on autopilot, where they arrive without remembering clear details of how they got there. Prospective and semantic memories work together to help us make changes to our routines; these changes can include things such as 'drop off the baby at daycare' or 'stop for groceries on the way home.' When our working memory fails, such as when we're distracted or stressed, there can be catastrophic implications, Diamond says. He gave examples of situations where critical safety steps were overlooked, such as a surgeon leaving tools in a patient, a pilot not setting the wing flaps for landing, and caregivers forgetting that there's a baby in the car. 'The habit brain system is a great convenience that allows us to go into autopilot,' Diamond says. 'The beauty of it is that we don't have to remember every turn, but the problem is that it's actually guiding our behavior. When it guides our behavior, it suppresses the other part of the brain that is supposed to remind us of additional information.' 'We have to accept the fact that our brain multitasks. And as a part of that multitasking, the awareness of a child can be lost,' Diamond says. 'We have to accept that the human memory is flawed. That includes when loving, attentive parents lose awareness of their children when they are in a car.' Diamond has studied many heatstroke cases and points to common factors: stress, sleep deprivation, and change in routine. Many times when a child died in this situation, there was a change in the day's routine, Diamond says. For example, a parent who wouldn't usually be responsible for day-care drop-off may have had the task that day. Because our brains recognize a pattern for the day, this person would drive to work as usual, even though the baby was along for the ride. And unless there was an external cue, such as seeing the diaper bag or hearing the baby, the parent's brain would continue on autopilot and could even create a false memory that the child is safely at daycare, Diamond found. Sleep deprivation and stress can also increase the potential for a working-memory failure. Conflicts between semantic and prospective memory are typical, Diamond says. His research has found that they happen to everyone—not just parents and caregivers—on almost a daily basis. The added stress, distraction, and sleep deprivation that parents often face can contribute to tragic situations. What you can do to prevent a hot car tragedy The first step is for parents and caregivers to understand that human memory is faulty and that these memory failures can happen to anyone. The key to avoiding such incidents is to use strategies aimed at overcoming memory lapses. 'The strategies need to be child-specific,' Diamond says. 'When you have a child in the car, do something unique.' Here are six tips from the expert team that tests car seats for CR. Create safeguards. Set up an agreement with child-care providers where you promise to notify them if your child is going to be late or absent. In return, they pledge to notify you if your child doesn't arrive at the usual drop-off time. Set up an agreement with child-care providers where you promise to notify them if your child is going to be late or absent. In return, they pledge to notify you if your child doesn't arrive at the usual drop-off time. Set reminders on your phone to check with your spouse or partner to make sure they have dropped the child off. to check with your spouse or partner to make sure they have dropped the child off. Always keep vehicles locked and keys out of reach from little hands. and keys out of reach from little hands. Create visual reminders. Place the child's diaper bag, jacket, or hat in the front passenger seat. Place the child's diaper bag, jacket, or hat in the front passenger seat. Force yourself to go to the back seat. Keep your backpack, lunch box, or briefcase there every day. Keep your backpack, lunch box, or briefcase there every day. Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle for any length of time, regardless of the outside temperature. Vehicles can quickly heat up to potentially fatal levels on even mild-temperature days. 'Education is very important, but education alone won't end these tragedies,' says Fennell at Kids and Cars Safety. 'It's going to take education along with technology to help our imperfect brains.' You can also invest in a vehicle or child car seat with integrated reminder technology. Consumer Reports' experts have evaluated these technologies and found that integrated systems that default to On, rather than needing to be activated by the driver, are the most beneficial. (The concern is that most parents don't think a hot car tragedy could happen to them and therefore might not turn on a protective feature.) 'When my college-aged son was an infant, this almost happened to us,' says Jennifer Stockburger, director of operations at CR's Auto Test Center. 'My husband was responsible for dropping our son at daycare one day, which was not his normal routine. He drove far past the daycare, and only when our son made some noise did he realize his mistake. Even if you can't imagine making such an error, I encourage parents to use the tips we provide to safeguard their children.' By Emily A. Thomas, PhD, Consumer Reports associate director, auto safety
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Louisiana father who left 1-year-old daughter in hot car for over 9 hours faces murder charge: police
A Louisiana father was charged with second-degree murder after allegedly leaving his 21-month-old daughter inside a hot car for more than nine hours. Joseph Boatman, 32, of Hammond, was arrested Sunday after the child died outside a home in Madisonville, according to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office. "Detectives with the STPSO Major Crimes Unit have learned that Boatman had strapped the toddler in her car seat inside the vehicle after picking her up from a family member's residence shortly after 2:30 a.m. Sunday," police said. "After strapping the toddler in her car seat, Boatman went back inside the residence and never returned to the vehicle. It was also learned that prior to Boatman arriving to pick up his daughter, he had consumed multiple alcoholic beverages," the sheriff's office added. Florida Woman Given Maximum Sentence In Death Of Second Grandchild Police say they responded to the home shortly before noon Sunday, "after a family member located the girl unresponsive inside the vehicle." Read On The Fox News App Temperatures in the area around that time were about 90 degrees. "This is a devastating loss that no family ever wants to face," St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith said in a statement. "When a child is left in a vehicle, especially on a day when the heat index climbs over 100 degrees, the outcome can turn deadly in a matter of minutes. This case involved compromised judgment, and the result was heartbreaking." Child Hot Car Death Pushes Parents Who Lost Daughter To Sound Alarm About 'Preventable Tragedy' The website No Heat Stroke, which tracks the deaths of children inside hot cars in the U.S., said it was the fifth instance this year, following cases in New Mexico, California, Maryland and New Jersey. "A child's body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult's. When a child is left in a vehicle, that child's temperature can rise quickly – and the situation can quickly become dangerous," the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says on its website. "In 2024, 39 children died of heatstroke in vehicles — up 35% from 2023." The NHTSA also says, "Never leave a child in a vehicle unattended for any length of time," and, "Rolling windows down or parking in the shade does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle."Original article source: Louisiana father who left 1-year-old daughter in hot car for over 9 hours faces murder charge: police
International Business Times
10-06-2025
- International Business Times
Louisiana Father Charged with Murder After Leaving 21-Month-Old Daughter in Hot Car for 9 Hours While Drunk
A Louisiana father has been charged with murdering his 21-month-old daughter, who reportedly died in a hot car on Sunday, June 8. Local news outlets reported that a family member discovered the girl after she was left in a parked car in Madisonville for nine hours. St. Tammany Parish police determined that the girl's father, Joseph Boatman, 35, arrived to pick her up from a relative's home, but he instead strapped her into a car seat and entered a nearby residence. Instead of removing her from the car upon arriving at the residence, he failed to return from the residence and left her in the car overnight. Boatman was charged with second-degree murder, as police believe he had several alcoholic drinks before picking up his daughter. It is unclear why Boatman strapped his daughter into the vehicle and then left. "The child was buckled in the car seat as best as they could tell around 2:30 in the morning on Sunday," she said. "Then a family member located her there around noon." The family member then called 911 after finding the child unresponsive. "This is a devastating loss that no family ever wants to face," Sheriff Randy Smith said. "When a child is left in a vehicle, especially on a day when the heat index climbs over 100 degrees, the outcome can turn deadly in a matter of minutes. This case involved compromised judgment, and the result was heartbreaking." Boatman's daughter is reportedly the fifth hot-car death this year. According to No Heat Stroke, 39 children died in hot cars in 2024. The St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office is expected to conduct an autopsy to determine the official cause of death.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Baby in back? Ways to remind yourself that your child is buckled in the back seat
Summer is near, and temperatures will be rising, with heat intensifying faster inside a vehicle. If you have a baby or young child buckled in the back seat, this is a good time to find the best way to remind yourself that your precious cargo is strapped in behind you, especially if your vehicle doesn't have warning technology to alert you to check the back seat. Kids and Car Safety; the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offer some tips: Put the child's diaper bag or another item in the front passenger seat as a visual cue that the child is riding with you. Put something in the back seat (next to where the child is buckled) that you can't start your day without − your work badge, cellphone, laptop, purse or briefcase. Keep a stuffed animal or toy in the car seat and move it to the front passenger seat after you've buckled in the child in to remind you the child is riding with you. Write a note to remind yourself to check the back seat. Set an alarm on your cellphone or computer calendar, one that is different from all other alert sounds, to remind you to drop off your child at child care. Open the back door every time you park, and look around inside before you lock your vehicle. Announce and confirm who is getting each child out of the vehicle if you are riding with others. Ask your babysitter or child care provider to contact you if your child hasn't arrived as scheduled. If someone else is dropping off your child at child care, communicate with them that the drop-off was made. There have been at least 1,129 children who have died in hot vehicles in the U.S. since 1990, according to Kids and Car Safety, an advocacy group devoted to saving the lives of children and pets in and around vehicles. It indicates 7,500 more children survived being in a hot vehicle, with various degrees of injury, according to its website. Four children have died in hot vehicles this year, according to the group, with the latest being a 1-year-old boy in Albuquerque, N.M., on May 25. The other deaths were in New Jersey, Maryland and California, according to the website. In Michigan, there have been 13 hot car deaths involving children under age 14 from 1990-2024 and two prior to 1990, according to the group. In August, a 3-year-old boy died in Vicksburg in Kalamazoo County when his father left him in a vehicle. Several West Michigan television media reports indicate the man left his son in a rear-facing car seat in the driver's side back seat when he went to work. The reports indicate he dropped off his daughter at daycare, but forgot to drop off his son. He found the boy later that day after returning to his vehicle after a stop at a grocery store. He was charged, pleaded guilty and in March was sentenced to probation and a delayed jail sentence, according to the media reports. Kids and Car Safety indicates that in more than half of hot car deaths, the person responsible for the child unknowingly left them in the vehicle. The majority of children who died in a hot car death was age 3 or younger, according to the group. Having ways to remember to the check the back seat is important as Michigan's updated child passenger safety laws took effect April 2, with children needing to be secured in a car seat that is appropriate for their weight and height as indicated by the seat's manufacturer. All children under age 13 must ride in the rear seat, if the vehicle has one. More: Counterfeit automotive parts pour into U.S. and can be a 'direct risk to safety' Infants to children age 2 must be in a rear-facing car seat until they reach the maximum weight or height allowed by the seat's manufacturer or the child is 2 years old. Those age 2-5 can move into a forward-facing car seat until they reach the maximum weight or height allowed by the seat's manufacturer or the child is 5 years old. Those age 5-8 can move into a belt-positioning booster seat using a lap and shoulder belt until they are 4 feet, 9 inches tall or 8 years old. The National Weather Service indicates that the interior temperature of a vehicle can rise almost 20 degrees within the first 10 minutes, even with the windows cracked open. A child's body temperature rises three to five minutes faster than an adult's, so their temperature can rise quickly when left in a vehicle. Heat stroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees, and death occurs at a core body temperature of 107 degrees or above, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Contact Christina Hall: chall@ Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Free Press. Submit a letter to the editor at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ways to remind yourself that your child is buckled in the back seat
