Consumer Reports: Kids in danger in hot cars

Nearly 40 children die each year being left in a hot car. Last year, that number was 52. July and August are typically the deadliest months, but it can happen even with mild temperatures.

Consumer Reports explains why this common memory failure really could happen to anyone.

Every nine days, a child left in a hot car, dies from vehicular heatstroke.

"It all fits the same pattern, that memory gets suppressed temporarily and we lose awareness of the child is in the car," said neuroscience David Diamond, a professor of psychology at the University of South Florida.

Diamond has been studying the science behind this common memory failure that can have tragic consequences.

"And we know this is clearly related to the competition between the different brain memory systems," Diamond said. "We have powerful brain autopilot brain memory system and gets us to do things automatically and it gets us to do things automatically and in that process we lose awareness of other things in our mind, including that there's a child in the car."

And Consumer Reports explains that even on a mild day, this can have tragic consequences.

"The temperature inside a closed vehicle can reach dangerously high levels in less than an hour," said Consumer Reports Car Seat Expert Emily Thomas. "This is unsafe for children and small babies because their body temperature rises three to five times faster than adults and they are unable to efficiently regulate their body temperature."

And because a tragedy like this can happen to anyone, Consumer Reports says it's best to create a routine with reminders for yourself every time you drive.

"We encourage parents to make a habit of everyday putting a laptop bag or a lunchbox in the back seat, even if your child is not with you," Thomas said. "Doing this will force you to visit the backseat after every trip."

Or keep a sippy cup or your child's coat up front with you.

"Some people go so far as to say put a shoe in the back seat," Diamond said. "Give yourself a cue so that when you get out of the car you have that reminder!"

Consumer Reports says you should also have a plan that your childcare provider or child's school will call you if your child does not show up. There's a bill making its way around congress called the Hot Cars Act. It would require cars to come equipped with technology that alerts drivers if a child is left in the backseat after the ignition is turned off. Consumer Reports says concerned parents can reach out to their federal lawmakers.

All Consumer Reports material Copyright 2019 Consumer Reports, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Consumer Reports is a not-for-profit organization which accepts no advertising. It has no commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor on this site. For more information visit consumerreports.org