TULSA, Okla. — When it comes to heat safety, you need to go through a mental checklist as you’re leaving your car. Your most precious gift could be strapped in the back seat.
2 News Oklahoma dug into statistics on children's death in hot cars. According to the National Weather Service, 31 children died in hot cars in 2025.
WATCH: TROUBLING STATISTICS: Oklahoma ranked 49th in pediatric heatstroke car deaths
No Heat Stroke.org tracked pediatric heatstroke car deaths from 1998 to 2025 across the country. Oklahoma ranked 49th as one of the worst in that time span.
Two recent deaths, 3-year-old Ryan and 4-year-old Tegan, died from extreme heat exposure when they climbed in the backseat of their dad’s pickup truck and couldn’t get out.
Their father, Dustin Lee Dennis, faced federal charges for leaving them unsupervised for more than four hours.
No amount of time is safe to leave a child alone in a car. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in ten minutes, the temperature inside your car can rise 20 degrees.
How can you remind yourself?
- Start a habit to check your entire vehicle before you walk away
- Ask childcare providers to call if your child doesn't show up as expected
- Put other items in the back seat to force you to check
- Put a note or stuffed animal in the passenger seat to remind you there is a back seat passenger
- Story keys/fobs where children cannot find them to play in vehicles
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