CBS12 News Team

Safe Kids Worldwide urges parents to learn hot car safety

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- It's a sound no parent wants to hear, an ambulance coming to get their child after being left in a hot car. Unfortunately, Safe Kids Worldwide says it happens almost every day, killing 527 children over the last four years.

"And this has occurred in almost every single state and in 11 months of the year," said Kate Carr, President of Safe Kids Worldwide.

Safe Kids tells us 52-percent of the time, a child is left behind because of miscommunication or a parent simply forgets. A tragedy Norman Collins, Sr. knows all about.

"My son and his wife were on their way, rushing on their way to church," explained Collins.

In the back seat, Norman Collins the third slept. Just three months old.

"My son ended up asking someone to get the child out for him while he was getting his instruments out and as it turns out, the individual that he asked to get him did not hear him," said Collins.

Collins grandson stayed in the car for two and a half hours, dying from heat stroke. It's these tragedies that caused Safe Kids to launch a national campaign Tuesday, urging people to act. First, they say never leave a child in a car and always remember to lock the doors so kids can't climb inside.

"On a normal kind of moderate day, the inside of car can rise 20 degrees in as little as 10 minutes," said Carr.

Second, create a habit to help you remember your child. Reminders include placing something on the back seat next to your child that you'll need on your next stop. Another idea is to set an alarm on you cell phone reminding you to drop your child off at daycare or calling someone once you do. And finally, they say everyone needs to take action.

"If you see a child unattended in a car alone, call 911," said Carr.

Doctors say a child's body starts to shut down when its temperature reaches 104 degrees.

Tuesday, May 1 2012, 02:34 PM EDT

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