Summer is coming. Be aware. Kids and Cars.

Safety Tips from KidsAndCars.org Never leave children alone in or around cars; not even for a minute. Put something you'll need like your cell phone, handbag, employee ID or brief case, etc., on the floorboard in the back seat underneath the child's car seat. Get in the habit of always opening the back door of your vehicle every time you reach your destination to make sure no child has been left behind. This will soon become a habit.  We call this the "Look Before You Lock" campaign. Keep a large stuffed animal in the child's car seat when it's not occupied. When the child is placed in the seat, put the stuffed animal in the front passenger seat. It's a visual reminder that anytime the stuffed animal is up front you know the child is in the back seat in a child safety seat.   Make arrangements with your child's day care center or babysitter that you will always call if your child will not be there on a particular day as scheduled. Make sure all child passengers have left the vehicle after it is parked. Keep vehicles locked at all times; even in the garage or driveway. Keys and/or remote openers should never be left within reach of children. When a child is missing, check vehicles and car trunks immediately. If you see a child alone in a vehicle, get involved.  If they are hot or seem sick, get them out as quickly as possible. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. Be especially careful about keeping children safe in and around cars during busy times, schedule chnges and periods of crisis or holidays. Use drive-thru services when available. (restaurants, banks, pharmacies, dry cleaners, etc.) Use your debit or credit card to pay for gas at the pump. For additional information, statistics and charts specific to child vehicular heat stroke visit http://www.kidsandcars.org/heatstroke.html   For more information on KidsAndCars.org's petition to the White House calling for technology to stop children from being left in vehicles, please visit http://bit.ly/petitionkac   For further details about ways to keep children safe in and around vehicles, please visit www.KidsAndCars.org   ### About KidsAndCars.org: Founded in 1996, KidsAndCars.org is the only and leading national nonprofit child safety organization dedicated solely to preventing injuries and deaths of children in and around vehicles. KidAndCars.org promotes awareness among parents, caregivers and the general public about the dangers to children, including backover and frontover incidents, and heat stroke from being inadvertently left in a vehicle. The organization works to prevent tragedies through data collection, education and public awareness, policy change, product redesign and survivor advocacy.