BANGOR, Maine — Public officials are taking the influx in warm weather as an opportunity to remind parents and caregivers of the dangers of a hot car.
Created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the "Look Before You Lock" campaign is adopted by the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety each May amid National Heatstroke Prevention Day.
"Ultimately, within the summer months is when you want to be focusing on issues like this," Maine Highway Safety Coordinator Erica Davis said. "A lot of parents might think that they would never forget their child in the back, but it truly can happen to everyone."
Although Davis said Maine luckily has had very limited incidents, an average of 38 children die each year in the U.S. due to heatstroke after being left in a car.
As an alternative, oftentimes parents look to leave the A/C on if they plan to leave their kids or pets in the car. However, Orono Police Deputy Chief Daniel Merrill said even that has risks.
"They might step on the gear shift knob and knock it out of gear, or they might lock the car accidentally and you're stuck on the outside," Merrill said. "You don't realize how much those sun rays captured inside your car are being magnified and amplified."
When it comes to prevention, experts say leaving yourself reminders that will switch up your daily routine is key. Leaving something that you need, like a purse or a shoe, can be a great way to force yourself to check for passengers in the backseat.