Dangers of leaving children in hot cars and the law that protects good Samaritans

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) -- Over 1,000 children have died from being trapped in a hot car, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 39 children died from heatstroke from inside a car in 2024, up 35% from 2023.

Mike Ishida, Battalion Chief of the South Salt Lake Fire Department, explained it doesn't take much heat to make a car dangerous. He said, "Even if it's 70 degrees outside, the chances that vehicle rising above our critical levels for an exposure to your kids or pets could be extreme and ultimately cause death."

The NHTSA says 52% of child deaths from being in a hot car come from being forgotten they are even there. 25% come from children finding a way to get into a car left unlocked and unattended. The third leading cause is from doing it on purpose. Ishida sa