Children’s of Alabama Raising Awareness about Pediatric Vehicular Heatstroke Deaths

Birmingham, Ala. (May 29, 2025) — Children’s of Alabama urges drivers to look before they lock. The Children’s of Alabama Look and Lock: A Child Safety Campaign kicked off on May 1. The campaign raises awareness about pediatric vehicular heatstroke and its dangers. It is sponsored by Children’s, the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and several other state and local safety partners.

“We are so grateful for the continued support from ADECA,” said Ashley Bridgmon, Manager of the Health Education and Safety Center. “We must all do our part to prevent hot car deaths.”

Experts say vehicular heatstroke can occur at any time, but it is more likely to happen during the summer months. According to NHTSA, 39 children died last year of heat stroke in vehicles, up 35% from 2023. The state of Alabama has seen a total of 33 pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths from 1998 to 2024. No deaths occurred in the state in 2024. At least four deaths have been reported in the United States this year.

Throughout the next several months, the Health Education and Safety Center staff at Children’s of Alabama will educate parents and caregivers about the dangers of hot cars and provide them with ways to prevent hot car deaths. Drivers will also see billboards with messaging about the dangers of hot vehicles along beach routes in Alabama this summer.        

This project is supported by a grant awarded by the Law Enforcement and Traffic Safety Division of ADECA and NHTSA.  This is the second year Children’s has been awarded this grant.