“Over the last 15 years, 682 children have died in hot cars,” said Senator Simcha Felder. “That’s 682 too many.”

Senator Felder issued his warning this morning when two more children died over the weekend after being left in hot cars. More, the Senator and his colleagues unanimously passed a bill introduced by Senator Jack Martins this year to make it illegal to leave children younger than 8 alone in a vehicle.

Studies show that when outdoor temperatures reach between 70 and 96 degrees, the temperature inside a car can quickly rise more than 40 degrees in an hour. Cracking the windows has been shown to have little effect on the temperature inside a car.

“Parents should be aware of the risks of leaving children alone in hot or cold cars, even for a short time,” said Senator Felder, who praised Senator Martins for remaining in the forefront of this issue. “It should be the law—and hopefully it will be soon—but minimally it’s common sense. And we’re in the middle of a heat wave,” said Felder. “Do the right thing. Don’t leave children alone in your car.”

(YWN Desk – NYC)