Kids and Hot Cars - KAUZ-TV: Newschannel 6 Now | Wichita Falls, TX

Kids and Hot Cars

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Every single year especially during the summer we hear stories about parents forgetting their kids in the car.

According to Kidsandcars.org, an advocacy group for injury control and child safety reports in 2013, 44 kids died from heat stroke after being left in a vehicle. So far this year, 14 kids have died.

Newschannel 6 set out to see what we could find in Texoma that could help remind parents when there is a child in their vehicle.

However, when visiting local stores and chains, we discovered there aren’t those particular safety items stocked on shelves.

Penny Rhodes, a mother of two girl five and seven years old said she hears reports about parents leaving their kids in hot cars every year. She said she could not imagine children enduring such heat.

“She’s already hot,” said Rhodes. “I couldn’t imagine being left in the car at three or four, or even an infant who couldn’t get out.”

Joellen Tritton, Owner of Storkland & Kids Too, specializes in children’s products and said they travel to more than a dozen markets each year searching for the newest products. She said before they bring a product in their store they ensure its safety.

Tritton said when it comes to children’s safety it may be up to consumers to convince someone to create something that could alert parents their child has been left in the car.

“We haven’t had a lot of consumer request for a product like that, but I feel like if we made the known to the public that a product was available,” said Tritton. “There would be a raise in interest.”

Newschannel 6 visited a number of stores in the area and the only product we could find that would remind parents their kids were in the car was a decal at Walmart which read, ‘Baby on Board.’

Tiffany Norman, a mother of one said saw one idea on Facebook.

“People put their shoe beside their kid, because you’re not going to go anywhere without one shoe,” said Norman.

Norman believes parents should be more responsible, but admits sometimes she receives help from her little one.

“She doesn’t even like to be in her car seat for the drive,” said Norman. “So there is no way I could ever forget her.”

Texas law states you cannot leave a child in a car that is younger than seven years of age without a person in the vehicle who is 14 years of age or older.

 Jimmie Johnson, Newschannel 6