Look before you lock: Commissioner Mike Causey and Pullen Park host demonstration in Raleigh to prevent hot car deaths Don’t leave children, pets inside hot cars

As temperatures heat up with the onset of summer, Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey reminds North Carolinians of the dangers of leaving children and pets inside cars.

“The fun of summer can quickly become tragic if parents mistakenly leave their child or pet inside a car,” said Commissioner Causey. “It only takes 10 minutes for the temperature to rise to dangerous levels, so be sure to look before you lock.”

Commissioner Causey, who also serves as the chair of Safe Kids North Carolina, will continue the Department’s 2021 hot cars statewide campaign with a demonstration at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 18, at Pullen Park, 520 Ashe Ave., Raleigh, N.C. 27606.

During the demonstration, Commissioner Causey will show how hot the inside of a car can become as he melts marshmallows and chocolate to make “S’mores.”  At the same time, a large digital thermometer will simultaneously display the temperatures inside and outside the parked car to show how quickly temperatures can reach life-threatening levels.

On average, 38 children under the age of 15 die each year from heatstroke after being left in a vehicle.  Last year, 24 children died.

So far this year, four children have died after being left in a car. One of the deaths occurred in North Carolina, where a 5-month-old girl died in Iredell County in April. A 3-year-old girl died in California on June 3, a 9-month-old boy died in Florida June 9, and a 2-year-old boy died Monday in Louisiana.

All of those deaths were preventable.