The Mississippi Department of Transportation urged drivers to check their back seats after citing a NoHeatstroke.org report that 57% of child hot-car deaths in Mississippi were the result of children being forgotten in vehicles, the department said.
The department’s social media post said changes in daily routines, lack of sleep, stress, fatigue and distractions can lead to children being unknowingly left in cars.
MDOT advised drivers to always check the back seat when exiting a vehicle. It suggested placing a toy or stuffed animal in the front passenger seat as a reminder when a child is in the back. The agency also recommended setting an alarm or reminder to prompt a back-seat check, placing an item needed at the destination in the back seat and using rear-seat alert technology if available.
The department told caregivers to create a check-in system with anyone who transports a child and to ask childcare providers or babysitters to call if a child does not arrive as scheduled, the post said. The department included the hashtags #MShwys, #ChildSafety, #HeatSafety and #HeatstrokeKills in the post.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
