31 kids died in hot cars in 2025, according to the National Safety Council.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Eight children have died after being left in hot cars so far in 2026, two of them in Florida, including one just last week in the Tampa area, according to the National Safety Council.

The brutal heat is sparking reminders from safety officials about the dangers of leaving kids in hot cars, even for a few minutes.



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“The one thing I like to emphasize is it’s not even extreme heat,” said Julia Della Porta, a community health educator for Safe Kids Northeast Florida. “We can lose kids in hot cars on even 60 degree days. What makes them more vulnerable than adults is their bodies heat up three to five times faster than our bodies. Their internal temperature is going to rise very quickly.” 

In 2025, 31 children died after being left in hot cars in the U.S. according to the National Safety Council.

“It’s devastating no matter what,” said Della Porta. “What hurts so much is that it’s 100% preventable. they’re all preventable that’s why we encourage all these different layers of protection. Everyone loves to throw blame and say it happens to bad parents, but it happens to human parents. People are out of their routine and forgetting.”

That’s why safety advocates are encouraging families to be proactive, by crating a routine that forces you to check the backseat. 

“Kids fall asleep, kids can get quiet and we might forget they’re there. We can always create a reminder for ourselves by putting something in the backseat, like putting your work bag, phone or left shoe in the backseat just to trigger that reminder,” said Della Porta.

Keep in mind, cracked windows and parking in the shade have little, if any, effect on the internal temperature of your car, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Another reminder for parents and caregivers; As your kids get older, into toddler years, safety advocates say you should remind kids that playing in and around cars is not okay. Safe Kids Northeast Florida has seen situations where kids are gaining access to cars while playing games like hide-and-seek and realizing there’s a child lock in place and they can’t get out.

If you lose sight of your child, Della Porta said you should first check any nearby bodies of water like a pool or lake, the second place you should always check is your vehicle.

According to the National Weather Service, it only takes minutes for the temperature in a vehicle to hit life-threatening levels without air conditioning. The graphic above shows how hot the internal temperature in a vehicle can get over a certain period of time. For example, if the outside temperature is 90 degrees, after ten minutes, the internal temperature of a vehicle can hit 109 degrees. After 30 minutes, the internal temperature of a vehicle could hit as high as 124 degrees.