U.S. Child Hot Car Death Data Analysis from the Kids and Car Safety National Database (1990-2023) For more information visit www.KidsandCarSafety.org or contact us at email@KidsAndCars.org. 11 Table of Contents Figure 1: Child hot car deaths by year (page 3) Figure 1a: Child hot car deaths by year & state (page 4) Figure 1b: Airbag vs. heatstroke deaths (page 5) Figure 2: Child hot car deaths by state U.S. Map (page 6) Figure 2a: Child hot car deaths by state ranked by # of deaths (page 7) Figure 3: All Child hot car deaths by circumstance (page 8) Figure 3a: Unknowingly left child hot car deaths by circumstance (page 8) Figure 3b: Child hot car deaths by circumstance for each state (page 9) Figure 4: Child hot car death circumstances by year trend over time (page 10) Figure 4a: Unknowingly left child hot car deaths by year (page 10) Figure 4b: Gained access child hot car deaths by year (page 10) Figure 4c: Knowingly left child hot car deaths by year (page 10) Figure 5: All Child hot car deaths by victim age (page 11) Figure 5a: Unknowingly left child hot car deaths by victim age (page 11) Figure 5b: Gained access child hot car deaths by victim age (page 11) Figure 5c: Knowingly left child hot car deaths by victim age (page 11) Figure 6: Child hot car deaths by victim gender and circumstance (page 12) Figure 7: Child hot car deaths by location (page 12) Figure 8: Child hot car deaths by outside temperature (page 13) Figure 9: Child hot car deaths by time of day the child was left or gained access (page 13) Figure 10: Child hot car deaths by month (page 14) Figure 11: Child hot car deaths by day of the week (page 14) Figure 12: Child hot car death legal outcomes (page 15) Figure 12a: Legal outcomes for unknowingly left cases (page 16) Figure 12b: Legal outcomes for gained access cases (page 16) Figure 12c: Legal outcomes for knowingly left cases (page 16) Note: All data contained in this report was derived from the national Kids and Car Safety database. Since 1990, at least 1,085 children have died in hot cars. On average, 38 children die in hot cars every year in the U.S. 2018 & 2019 = worst 2 years in history for child hot car deaths
Data Source: Kids and Car Safety Database as of February, 2024 Note: Data is available by city and county upon request. Please contact email@KidsAndCars.org for more detailed geographic data. For more information visit www.KidsandCarSafety.org or contact us at email@KidsAndCars.org . From 1990-2023, 186 children were killed by over-powered air bags in the front passenger seat. During that same time-frame at least 1,085 children died in hot vehicles. Children can be unknowingly left behind in the back seat by even the most responsible parents and caregivers. Always remember to open the back car door after parking your vehicle and 'Look Before You Lock.' Changes in the way we transport children in vehicles appear to have caused deadly unintended consequences.  In the mid-1990's, children were being killed by overpowered airbags, when traveling in the front passenger seat. Safety advocates, government, and the auto industry all worked together to ensure children would ride in the back seat to prevent these unthinkable tragedies. Unfortunately, no modifications were put in place to compensate for this change.  This has resulted in at least 1,085 hot car deaths (compared to approx. 186 child front seat passenger airbag deaths). The addition of technology to vehicles to end these predictable and preventable hot car deaths is long overdue.
Data Source: KidsAndCarSafety.org as of September, 2024 NOTE:  Figure 2a (next page) contains the back of this chart that ranks each state by number of fatalities and provides the date range for when the hot car deaths took place in each state.
Below are the specific date ranges for the fatalities that Kids and Car Safety documented in each state between 1990 and 2023.
*There were 72 additional fatalities that Kids and Car Safety was able to document that happened prior to 1990 that are noted in a separate column above. Data Source: KidsAndCarSafety.org as of September, 2024 Data Source: Kids and Car Safety Database as of February, 2024 ■ Unknowingly Left in Vehicle (55%) ■ Gained Access to Vehicle on Own (25%) ■ Knowingly Left in Vehicle (15%) ■ Other / Circumstances Unknown (4%) The overwhelming majority of hot car tragedies involve a child who was unknowingly left or gained access to the vehicle on their own. Contrary to public opinion, very few cases involve drugs, alcohol, prior CPS involvement or neglect. Figure 3a: Child Hot Car Deaths by Unknowingly Left Circumstances (1990-2023) ■ Supposed to have been dropped off at daycare (43%) ■ Miscommunication between 2 caregivers (11%) ■ Left by a childcare provider (12%) Unknowingly left by caregiver (34%)
Data Source: Kids and Car Safety Database as of February, 2024, n = 1,085 Figure 4: All Child Hot Car Death Circumstances by Year (1990-2023) Note: Cases involving children being unknowingly left in vehicles have had a drastic increase starting in the mid-late 1990s and have been increasing ever since. Learn more about why HERE. Figure 4c: Knowingly Left in Vehicle Child Hot Car Deaths by Year (1990-2023) 40 Data Source: Kids and Car Safety Database as of February, 2024,  n = 1,083 Figure 5a: Unknowingly Left in Vehicle Hot Car Deaths by Victim Age (1990-2023) 0 0 0 0
0 1 0 3 6 7 8 9 10 12 11 13 14 UNK Kids and Car Safety Data Source: Kids and Car Safety Database as of February, 2024,  n = 596. Victim age in # of years 2 1 1 1 0 13 14 UNK 11 12 0 0 6 7 8
Data Source: Kids and Car Safety Database as of February, 2024,  n = 164 Figure 5c: Knowingly Left in Vehicle Death by Victim Age (1990-2023). 1 14 UNK Kids and Car Safety All Kids and Car Safety 0 1
■ Female   ■ Male Data Source: Kids and Car Safety Database as of February, 2024, n = 1,018 Figure 7: Child Hot Car Deaths by Location & Top 3 Circumstances ■ Residence / home   ■ Childcare Facility   ■ Parking lot / area   ■ Unknown Data Source: Kids and Car Safety Database as of February, 2024 Figure 9: ALL Child Hot Car Deaths by Time of Day the Child was Left or Gained Access to Vehicle (1990-2023) Note: Cases involving children who are unknowingly left happen most frequently during the end of the work week while cases involving children who gain access to vehicles on their own happen most frequently over the weekend. Figure 10: ALL Child Hot Car Deaths by Month (1990-2023) Note: Unknown legal outcomes are mostly due to court cases that remain open in recent years. Further information is available upon request. Data Source: Kids and Car Safety Database as of February, 2024, n = 1,085 。 52% of child hot car deaths do not result in a conviction 31% of child hot car deaths result in a conviction of varying degrees. Many defendants take a 。 plea deal to avoid the possibility of jail time and because they are unable to fight a legal battle after the tragic loss of a child The legal outcomes of hot car deaths vary drastically even between cases with nearly identical circumstances. The overwhelming majority of hot car deaths do NOT involve abuse, neglect, prior history with CPS, drugs or alcohol. Criminalizing unintentional acts is not a deterrent for future tragedies. In fact, it serves to further enforce the idea that most parents believe, “this could never happen to me.” ■ Not charged ■ Convicted ■ Charged, not convicted Charged, unknown if convicted ■ Legal outcome unknown Data Source: Kids and Car Safety Database as of February, 2024, n = 607 ■ Not charged ■ Convicted ■ Charged, not convicted ■ Charged, unknown if convicted ■ Legal outcome unknown ■ Not charged ■ Convicted ■ Charged, not convicted ■ Charged, unknown if convicted Legal outcome unknown For additional information about child hot car fatalities, fact sheets, safety tips, state laws, children’s stories, videos, PSAs, additional charts, graphics, materials in several languages, pending legislation, etc. visit the hot cars death page on our website. For more information visit www.KidsandCarSafety.org or contact us at email@KidsAndCars.org.