May 1 is National Vehicular Heatstroke Prevention Day. It is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related death for children 14 and younger in the United States. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety urge parents and caregivers to learn about and share critical information about the dangers of leaving children alone in hot cars. Help us spread the word: Once You Park, Stop, Look, Lock.
- More than 1,000 children have died due to pediatric vehicular heatstroke since 1998.
- 39 children died in 2024 because of vehicular heatstroke.
- On average, 37 children die per year due to vehicular heatstroke.
- In 2018 and 2019, we saw a record number of hot car deaths - 53 children died each year.
For More Information:
Maine Bureau of Highway Safety Heatstroke Press Release (PDF)
2025 Heat Stroke Fact Sheet (PDF)
Visit www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/heatstroke. For current data, visit www.noheatstroke.org.