Road trips for Mudik often involve quick stops at rest areas or souvenir shops. It is tempting to leave a sleeping toddler inside the car just for a few minutes to avoid waking them up. However, this decision can turn tragic instantly.

A vehicle acts like a greenhouse, trapping heat rapidly. A child's body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult's. Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature hits about 104 degrees, and it becomes fatal at 107 degrees or above.

Statistics are alarming. Over 1,010 children have died from vehicular heatstroke in the past 25 years because they were left or became trapped. In 2024 alone, 39 children lost their lives, a 35% increase from the previous year.

Many think cracking a window down helps, but it does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle. Shockingly, over 50% of pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths are a result of a caregiver simply forgetting a child in a car.

Always establish a "look before you lock" routine. Check the entire vehicle, especially the back seat, every single time before walking away. Place a personal item like a purse in the back seat as a visual reminder. If you see a child alone in a locked car, act immediately to get help.