The United States Department of Transportation is launching a public safety campaign to help prevent the deaths of children due to heatstroke after being left in hot cars.

According to a release from USDOT, U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced the launch of a $3 million public safety campaign to combat child vehicular heatstroke deaths across the country.

“The announcement is part of the Department’s ongoing work to engage with safety advocates and provide a unified message to educate the public about the dangers hot vehicles pose to children,” Chao said.

Chao said the PSAs are to remind drivers to never leave children by themselves in vehicles.

Public service announcements will run throughout the summer reminding parents to “Park. Look. Lock.”

Alabama is one of 18 states that has been highlighted for targeted radio ads and digital campaigns. According to USDOT, these states have the highest number of recorded child heatstroke fatalities.

“Since 1998, at least 855 children have died due to vehicular heatstroke,” Chao said. “All of these deaths could have been prevented. In 2020, there have been six confirmed child heatstroke deaths, and 52 child heatstroke deaths occurred in 2019. The national average of child heatstroke deaths per year since 1998 is 39 deaths.”

The group lists several important tips to help prevent child heatstroke deaths due to hot vehicles:

• Keep vehicles locked at all times when parked to prevent a child climbing in and becoming trapped;

• Teach children that vehicles are not a place to play;

• Never leave a child in a vehicle when running errands, not even for a minute;

• Rolling down a window does little to keep a vehicle cool, and heatstroke deaths have occurred even in vehicles parked in shaded areas; and

• Bystanders can also play an important role in saving a life – if you see a child alone in a vehicle, call 911 and get help immediately.