Never leave your children alone in vehicles, even briefly

It can be tempting to leave children alone in a motor vehicle to quickly run in the store to grab a gallon of milk or to pick up dry cleaning.

What many parents and caregivers don't know is that the temperature inside a car can reach deadly levels in as little as 10 minutes.

Kids In Cars, a national nonprofit dedicated to keeping children safe in and around motor vehicles, is working to educate every parent and caregiver about the dangers of leaving a child in or around a car, even for a quick minute.

"It only takes a minute for an incident to happen," says Kids In Cars director Michele Struttmann. "We want everyone to realize that a car is not childproof, and it should never be used as a baby sitter."

Michele and Terrill Struttmann know the dangers of leaving children unattended in a vehicle. In 1998, an afternoon in the park turned tragic when two toddlers, left unattended in a running vehicle, set the car in motion, hitting and killing their 2-year-old son, Harrison. They founded Kids In Cars in 1999 and have since devoted their lives to preventing similar accidents.

Kids In Cars offers parents the following tips to help keep their children safe in and around motor vehicles:

•Plan ahead to use drivethrough services where available, such as pharmacies and banks.

•Call dry cleaners and other businesses ahead to schedule pickup and drop-off services. Most businesses will bring service curbside if customers call ahead.

•Make advance arrangements for a child-care provider to meet at the vehicle.

•Use a debit or credit card at the gas pump.

•Ask grocery store clerks to load bags into the vehicle and return the grocery cart.

•If possible, leave children with a responsible adult, such as a neighbor, while running errands.

•Keep vehicles locked at all times, even in the garage or driveway. •Never leave keys within the reach of children.

•Teach children to never play in or around vehicles.

•Consider installing cross-view mirrors and/or a backup detection device on vehicles.

•Make sure all young passengers have left the car after it is parked.

•When a child is missing, check vehicles and trunks immediately.

•If a child is locked inside a vehicle, get him or her out as quickly as possible. If the child is hot or appears sick, call 911 or a local emergency number immediately.

To learn more, go online to www.kidsincars.org.

This story is provided by North American Precis Syndicate Inc.