Kids and Cars founder devastated to learn of the death of twins in hot car, offers tips to prevent

KANSAS CITY, Missouri - Janette Fennell, the president and founder of Kids and Cars, was devastated to learn of the tragedy in Portageville, Missouri.

When asked about how long is too long to leave a child in a car, Fennell responded, “You should never leave a child alone in a vehicle, so many things can happen.”

Heat is always a concern, as it was in the deaths of twin girls Wednesday in Southern Missouri.

However, leaving children alone in a car can lead to other problems. Fennell points to accidental window strangulation, accidental car movement and the possibility of the child leaving the car and getting hit by another vehicle.

In an NBC Action News experiment at 11 a.m. Thursday morning, the interior temperature of an SUV in the sunshine rose 40 degrees in 10 minutes.

At 11 a.m. the thermometer read 80 degrees, by 11:10 it read 120 degrees.

Fennell was not surprised by how quickly the mercury rose.

The non-for-profit organization, Kids and Cars, suggests several simple steps to avoid accidentally leaving your child in a hot car.

Fennell suggests always locking your car.

Also, she says, “Take a teddy bear or some stuffed animal and put it in the baby's car seat. And when you get ready to put the baby in, throw it up front in the passenger seat. We're so cue dependent as humans, so that's your reminder.”

She also recommends putting an item you’ll need at your final destination in the back seat so you’ll be forced to look for it.

It’s also very important to have a system set up with the family’s child care provider. The provider should have a laundry list of phone numbers to call if the child doesn’t make it on time.

Fennell considers herself an advocate for the voiceless, “The children are innocent, and if you can imagine with the work that we do, the worst thing that could ever happen is the death of a child.”

Fennel says 70% of heat related child car deaths are caused by a close relative of the child. Most are accidents. Though, Fennell says it could happen to anyone.