DELAWARE – The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is partnering with the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to educate drivers on the dangers of heatstroke inside vehicles. Demonstrations will be held at DMV locations in each county to show how quickly temperatures inside a parked car can become life-threatening. Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 39 child deaths nationwide from vehicle-related heatstroke, marking a 35% increase over the previous year. Fortunately, Delaware reported no such deaths.
The OHS Child Passenger Safety Coordinator emphasized how rapidly the temperature inside a car can rise, saying the inside heat increases about 20 degrees Fahrenheit within 10 minutes, even if a window is cracked. She also noted that children’s bodies overheat three to five times faster than adults, with heatstroke becoming dangerous once body temperature reaches 104 degrees and potentially fatal at 107 degrees or higher. To prevent heatstroke deaths, Klick advises never leaving children unattended in vehicles, always checking the back seat before locking, and placing a reminder item in the back seat. The OHS events will be held June 18 at the New Castle DMV on Hessler Boulevard, followed by sessions at the Dover DMV in Kent County and the Georgetown DMV in Sussex County, all from 1 to 3 p.m.
