BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — As triple-digit temperatures settle into Kern County this week, child safety advocates are reminding parents to stay alert both around and inside their vehicles.
The warning comes from Kids and Car Safety, a national nonprofit organization focused on preventing child deaths and injuries involving vehicles.
According to the organization, 11 children have died nationwide in driveway and parking lot incidents in just 17 days.
“It’s something that’s gonna continue happening until we have better technology and vehicles, because the reality is that there’s a blind zone that exists behind, on the sides, and in front of all vehicles where small children can’t be seen,” said Amber Rollins, executive director of Kids and Car Safety.
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The organization works to prevent what it calls “non-traffic incidents,” including backovers, frontovers, hot car deaths, and other vehicle-related tragedies that occur outside of roadways.
Rollins said larger vehicles have contributed to a growing concern.
“We have seen a decrease in the number of children who are being backed over. But at the same time, we have seen an increase in the number of front over tragedies,” Rollins said. “And the reason for this is because, you know, big trucks and SUVs have become very trendy.”
According to Rollins, approximately 80% of new vehicle sales in the United States are now SUVs and trucks, creating larger blind zones around vehicles.
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Children under the age of five are especially vulnerable because of their size and inability to recognize danger.
“For example, if a three-year-old’s ball is rolling into the driveway, that’s what they have their mind on. They’re going for it,” Rollins said during an interview with Eyewitness News. “And they don’t look at a slow moving vehicle necessarily as something that could hurt them.”
Rollins said some incidents happen when children unexpectedly leave the house and walk toward a vehicle to greet a parent.
“We’ve actually come up with a name for that, because it’s such a common thing for a child to sneak out of the house and then they get into the path of the vehicle,” Rollins said. “We call that bye bye syndrome.”
She said parents who have experienced these tragedies often describe how quickly they occurred.
“The number one thing that sticks with me that I hear from parents that this has happened to is, ‘I can’t even explain to you, like, it happened so fast.'”
Hot car dangers increase during summer months
Rollins also warned families about the dangers of leaving children inside vehicles, especially as temperatures continue to climb.
“A vehicle is essentially a greenhouse, so it allows that heat to come in through the windows, and then there’s nowhere for it to escape,” she said.
1-year-old dies in a hot car. (KBAK/KBFX)
She added that many people underestimate how quickly temperatures rise inside a vehicle.
“The majority of the increase in temperature happens in the first 10 minutes,” Rollins said.
Children are particularly susceptible to heat-related illness because their bodies heat up faster than adults.
“A child’s body temperature rises 3 to 5 times faster than an adult,” she said.
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According to Kids and Car Safety, five children have died in hot car incidents nationwide so far this year. The organization documented 37 hot car deaths across the country in 2025.
Rollins said many hot car tragedies happen when a parent experiences a change in routine, is sleep deprived or mistakenly believes another caregiver removed the child from the vehicle.
“The most common scenario is when an otherwise loving, responsible parent has a change in routine, they’re extremely sleep deprived, and they literally lose awareness that the baby’s asleep in the back seat,” Rollins said.
Safety tips for parents
To help prevent tragedies, Rollins recommends that parents:
Check around their vehicle before moving it.Always know where children are before driving.Use strollers, shopping carts or hold children’s hands in parking lots.Childproof doors leading outside and consider installing door alarms.Open the back door and check the back seat every time they leave their vehicle.
Smiling mother securing a baby car seat in a vehicle, prioritizing child safety while preparing for a family road trip
“We want parents to look before you lock, which means open the back door, check the back seat, every single time you leave your vehicle,” Rollins said.
Kids and Car Safety also recommends placing a stuffed animal in the back seat and moving it to the front seat whenever a child is buckled into a car seat. Rollins said the stuffed animal can serve as a visual reminder that a child is in the vehicle.
“It costs nothing. It takes almost no effort,” Rollins said. “It’s just something really simple you can implement into your everyday routine.”
Kids and Car Safety is a nonprofit organization that operates through donations. Rollins said the summer months are typically the busiest time of year for the organization as incidents involving children and vehicles increase.
“Right now, we are raising emergency funds for this summer season,” Rollins said. “This is the time of year when we see a drastic uptick in the number of children that are lost, and we are doing anything and everything we can to keep this top of mind all summer long, so that families can watch their children grow up.”
Those interested in learning more about the organization or making a donation can visit the Kids and Car Safety website.