If you see a child, senior or pet alone in a vehicle, get involved. Call 911 immediately. If the child seems hot or sick, get them out of the vehicle quickly.
With temperatures warming up, the Boise Police Department would like to remind the community about the danger of leaving kids, pets and elderly individuals inside parked vehicles.
The “Look Before You Lock” campaign is designed to remind the public to double check their vehicle before exiting to prevent hot vehicle deaths. The inside of a vehicle heats up fast, even if the windows are cracked. At 75 degrees outside, the inside of the car can quickly reach 94 degrees in 10 minutes and 109 degrees in 30 minutes.
As part of the “Look Before You Lock” campaign, local businesses will be sharing special flyers and large posters. Small stickers are also being handed out for people to put on their work badges, cell phones, inside their cars, anywhere that might serve as a trigger to ensure children are not accidentally or unintentionally left behind. You can download a flyer to post at your business.
Did You Know
Children's Temp Rise Quickly
“A child’s core temperature can increase three-to-five-times faster than that of an adult,” said St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital pediatrician Dr. Brian Birch. “That increase in temperature can cause permanent brain or neurological injury, or even death, in just a very short time.”
It's Usually Accidental
Most cases are accidental. Of the related child deaths in the U.S., more than half of the children were simply forgotten by a caregiver, and more than a quarter happened when the child somehow got access to the car on their own.
It Can Be Criminal
“Not only is it a dangerous and heartbreaking situation, it can be criminal,” explained Boise Police SVU Detective Tonya Newberry. “The person responsible can be charged with felony injury to a child if that child is hurt, or possibly a misdemeanor even if the child is lucky enough to be ok.”
Temperatures In Locked Cars
| Outside Temperature | Inside Vehicle After 10 Minutes | Inside Vehicle After 30 Minutes |
| 70° | 89° | 104° |
| 75° | 94° | 109° |
| 80° | 99° | 114° |
| 85° | 104° | 119° |
| 90° | 109° | 124° |
| 95° | 114° | 129° |
Other tips for protecting your family
- Never leave a child in an unattended car, even with the windows down.
- Check to make sure all children leave the car when you reach your destination.
- Don't overlook sleeping infants.
- Teach children not to play in or around cars.
- Keep car keys out of reach and sight.
- Always lock car doors and trunks, especially when parked in the driveway or near the home.
- Keep rear fold-down seats closed to help prevent kids from getting into the trunk from inside the car.
- Be wary of child-resistant locks. Teach older children how to disable the driver's door locks if they unintentionally become entrapped in a motor vehicle.
- Contact your automobile dealership about getting your vehicle retrofitted with a trunk release mechanism.
Send a Message to Police
Thank you for contacting the Boise Police Department. Please fill out the form and someone from the department will be in touch with you.
If this is an emergency, please call 911.