Preventing Hot Car Tragedies: NHTSA’s Laura Dunn Urges Parents to “Stop. Look. Lock.”

As summer temperatures climb, safety experts are warning families about a persistent and deadly threat: pediatric heatstroke caused by children being left in hot cars. So far in 2025, 15 children have died this way, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo spoke with Laura Dunn, a Highway Safety Specialist with NHTSA, who emphasized that these deaths are entirely preventable. Dunn highlighted the importance of the “Stop. Look. Lock.” campaign, which urges parents and caregivers to check the back seat every time they exit the vehicle — and to always lock their car doors to prevent children from getting in on their own.

“You can see heatstroke happen even when it’s just 60 degrees outside,” Dunn said. “In just ten minutes, the temperature inside a vehicle can rise by 20 degrees.”

Dunn explained that hot car deaths typically happen in three ways: a child is forgotten in the car, gains access to a vehicle on their own and becomes trapped, or is knowingly left in the car. A common factor in many cases is a change in routine — when a parent who doesn’t normally do daycare drop-off simply forgets the child in the backseat.

To prevent these tragedies, NHTSA recommends putting a needed item — like a purse or phone — in the backseat as a reminder, setting alerts, and working with childcare providers to confirm when children are dropped off.

“Anyone can make this mistake,” Dunn stressed. “That’s why awareness and routine are so important.”

For resources and more information, visit nhtsa.gov/heatstroke.