Do not leave children or pets unattended in vehicles
TUCSON, Ariz., May 27, 2010 – Arizona's legendary hot weather has already started and the dangers of leaving a child in an unattended vehicle rise with the temperatures.
"In our extreme conditions, a child's body temperature increases three to five times faster than that of an adult," said Martha Furnas, GEICO vice president. "GEICO advises everyone to never leave a child alone in a vehicle, under any circumstances."
Furnas noted that pets also require the same protection from hot weather conditions.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reminds parents that even cool temperatures in the 60s can cause the temperature to rise well above 110 degrees inside your car. The inside temperature can rise almost 20 degrees within the first 10 minutes.
NHTSA and GEICO offer the following safety tips:
- NEVER leave a child or animal unattended in a car, even with the windows down
- Make a habit of looking in the vehicle before walking away
- If you are dropping your child off at childcare and normally it's someone else who drops them off, have that person call you to make sure everything went according to plan
- Ask your childcare provider to call you if your child does not show up for childcare
- Do things to remind yourself that a child is in the vehicle, such as:
- Writing yourself a note and putting the note where you will see it when you leave the vehicle
- Placing something you need in the back seat
- Keep an object in the car seat, such as a stuffed toy; when the child is buckled in, place the object where the driver will notice it when he or she is leaving the vehicle
- Always lock vehicle doors and keep keys out of children's reach; if a child is missing, check the vehicle first, including the trunk
- If you see a child or animal unattended in a car, be an active participant and call 911
GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies and is the third-largest private passenger auto insurance company in the United States. GEICO provides millions of auto insurance quotes to U.S. drivers annually. The company is pleased to serve more than 11 million private passenger customers and insures more than 18 million vehicles (auto & cycle).
GEICO's online service center helps policyholders take care of policy sales, policy changes, claims reporting and to print insurance ID cards.
GEICO also provides insurance quotes on motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), travel trailers and motorhomes (RVs). Coverage for boats, life, homes and apartments is written by non-affiliated insurance companies and is secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Commercial auto insurance and personal umbrella protection are also available.
For more information, go to www.geico.com.
