With summer temperatures rising, Washington Parish Sheriff Randy Seal advises parents and other drivers to use great caution when it comes to leaving children in hot cars.

He advises each parent or driver who transports children in their vehicle to view website www.safercar.gov/parents/heatstroke.htm.

Seal said this website includes valuable information concerning the danger of leaving children unattended in vehicles.

In 10 minutes, temperature in a vehicle can rise 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Even with outside temperatures in the 60s, the interior of a vehicle can heat up to well above 110 degrees in a short time. Cracking a window does not help. A child’s body temperature can rise up to five times faster than an adult’s, and a child may die when the body temperature reaches 107 degrees.

Drivers and other passengers should never leave a child alone in a car, even if the windows are partially open. Always check and double check when you exit a vehicle to make certain no child is left behind in a restraint device. Always look and then look again before walking away.

Seal also advises drivers to never leave a child alone in a car with the motor running. This happens too often when a driver has to make a quick stop at a convenience store or other business. Situations like this are an open invitation to car theft with the child inside, and there is always the possibility of a mechanical malfunction that could jeopardize the life of a child.

“We can never exercise too much caution when it comes to safeguarding our children,” said Seal. “Always go the extra mile for safety in all situations when a child is involved. Children should never be left unattended, whether in a car, around a pool, on the riverbank or anywhere else.”