In a summer riddled with kids dying inside hot cars, INSIDE EDITION has tips on how to keep you and your family safe from hot car dangers.
When a child gets locked in a hot car, every second counts.
There have been 17 hot car deaths so far this year, so INSIDE EDITION asked the car coach, Lauren Fix for tips on what to do if you see a child locked in. Her tips also work if you lock yourself out of your car.
Fix said, "In the summertime on a 90 degree day, in a one hour period, your car can go over 180 degrees just inside the area where you sit."
Lauren began by saying, "When you purchase a new car you have a couple of options."
If your car has an emergency system, help is just a phone call away.
Fix said, "If you own a GM vehicle, you have something called On-Star and if you decided not to subscribe to it, that's fine. This is considered an emergency and many vehicles have emergency systems."
Get More Tips From the Car Coach
Fix called On-Star which responded: "Thank you for calling On-Star. To unlock your door, press one. Do you have a child or pet locked in the vehicle? Press one for yes. Two for no."
And, just like magic, it's unlocked.
If you own a newer car, your vehicle may come equipped with new technology that lets you know if you've locked your key inside, by beeping.
"Some of the newer cars have a key fob that don't allow you to lock the car and leave the key fob in the car," explained Fix. "You hit the lock button or use the lock button on the door. I'm going to leave the key fob in the car. Watch this." As Fix walked away, the car began to sound an alert.
Another tip: Store an extra key in a small magnetic box.
Fix said, "On older cars, you can't do this too easily, on newer cars, you can go underneath the frame rail, you can hide it in there, find a magnetic spot and your key will always be safe."
In the worst case scenario, you may have to break a window to save a child, like the Good Samaritans did when a mom accidentally locked her two kids in the car near Houston.
INSIDE EDITION went to a salvage yard with Lauren Fix to demonstrate what to do in an emergency when there's no other option. Fix said, "You want to break the glass. Forget the center. You want to try to get the corner. Use a crow bar." Fix broke the car window, striking it in the lower corner.
"Now, you can get them out," she said.
