Overview

• Vehicle interiors can heat from 20 °C outside to over 45 °C within 20 minutes, creating life-threatening conditions that cause nearly 40 child heatstroke deaths per year in the US.
• Children’s smaller body surface to volume ratio, lower fat layer and less efficient sweating leave them especially vulnerable to rapid heat buildup.
• German law and GTÜ guidelines obligate bystanders to render aid to children in distress inside parked cars and permit window-breaking under the emergency defense provision.
• At least 20 automakers, including Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota and Hyundai, plan to equip US models with rear-seat reminder systems by 2025 while Tesla is testing radar-based sensors to detect occupants.
• Pediatricians advise caregivers to place visible reminders or establish check-in routines to prevent forgetting children and pets in vehicles.