Dangers of leaving children in hot cars and the law that protects good Samaritans

Yahoo

15 hours ago

SALT LAKE CITY () — Over 1,000 children have died from being trapped in a hot car, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 39 children died from heatstroke from inside a car in 2024, up 35% from 2023.
Mike Ishida, Battalion Chief of the South Salt Lake Fire Department, explained it doesn't take much heat to make a car dangerous. He said, 'Even if it's 70 degrees outside, the chances that vehicle rising above our critical levels for an exposure to your kids or pets could be extreme and ultimately cause death.'
The NHTSA says 52% of child deaths from being in a hot car come from being forgotten they are even there. 25% come from children finding a way to get into a car left unlocked and unattended. The third leading cause is from doing it on purpose. Ishida said leaving a small child locked inside, even for brief moments to fend for themselves, spells a lot of potential trouble.
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He detailed, 'We're talking toddlers and infants. The chances of them being able to help themselves are pretty much zero.' He continued, 'It's terrible as a parent thinking, you know, I'm just going to take a second to run in the store. Maybe a second turns into 10 minutes. It's not worth it.'
Utah has a that can protect you from civil liability if you break into a car to free a child you think may be in danger. But, there are very key steps to follow:
The person has to truly believe the child is in imminent danger,
The car has to be locked and there is no other way to get into the car.
Before breaking in, 911 has to be called to alert first responders.
They can only use force that is necessary to free the child. No extra damage that doesn't make sense.
They have to stay with the child until a first responder arrives.
If one of those is not followed, the person could find themselves liable if a suit is filed. Ishida expressed the importance of calling 911 and letting first responders help.
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