Police Provide Heatstroke Prevention Tips for Parents and Caregivers

May is Heatstroke Awareness Month and Hawai’i Police Department reminds everyone to be mindful when it comes to infants and young children in hot vehicles. A vehicle can heat up by 20 degrees in just 10 minutes, putting our keiki in danger. Heatstroke can happen in less than 15 minutes.

“Children’s bodies heat up three to five times faster than adults’ and for our keiki, this can mean heatstroke, brain damage, or even death,” said Torey D. Keltner, Hawaiʻi Police Department’s Traffic Services Section program manager.

On average, 37 children under the age of 15 die each year from heatstroke after being left in a vehicle. Even more heartbreaking, in more than half of these fatalities the child was forgotten in the vehicle by a parent or caregiver. So far in 2025, three children have died nationwide as a result of being left in hot cars. In 2024, there were 39 child deaths in hot cars.

✅ Always check the back seat before locking your car.

✅ Keep a stuffed animal in the front seat as a reminder.

✅ Make it a habit: Park. Look. Lock.

✅ If you see a child alone in a car, call 911 immediately.

“Let’s protect our keiki and keep our ohana safe. Together, we can prevent tragedy,” said Keltner.