As temperatures rise, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is advising parents and caregivers to take precautions when it comes to vehicle safety.
Twenty-one deaths have been reported nationwide as a result of children being unattended in vehicles.
Potentially deadly high temperatures are expected to continue across the country. The NHTSA cautions owners to ensure their vehicles are locked at all times when parked and unattended to prevent children from climbing in a becoming trapped. A child also should never be left in a running vehicle for any period of time.
According the the organization, a car can heat up by 20 degrees in 10 minutes. Rolling down a vehicle's windows will not cool it down, and heatstroke fatalies have been reported even when the car has been parked in shaded areas.
Bystanders can also play an important role in saving a life, the NHTSA states. If you see a child alone in a vehicle, call 911 and get help immediately.