AAA offers safety tips for children, adults, pets and vehicles as summer heat gets underway

DEARBORN, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – As the state is getting a taste of some hot weather, AAA of Michigan is offering up a few safety tips to help motorists keep their children, pets and vehicles safe during the summer season. Those tips range from keeping vehicles in good repair to managing health and safety risks when the mercury climbs.

Safety experts warn that excessive heat can pose great risks to motorists and say that since 1998, 946 children have died due to Pediatric Vehicular Heatstroke (PVH), with more than half of those deaths (54%) occurring with children under the age of 2 years old.

"People often think that something like this could never happen to them," said Adrienne Woodland, spokesperson, AAA – The Auto Club Group. "However, many heatstroke deaths are accidents, where a parent or caregiver forgets the child is in the back seat."

AAA-The Auto Club Group suggest the following safety tips to help keep children safe:

The soaring temperatures in a vehicle can also place your pets at risk. Never leave an animal in a parked car, even if the windows are partially open. Even on pleasant days the temperature inside a car can soar to well over 100 degrees in less than 10 minutes, placing your pet at risk for heatstroke and possibly death.

Extreme heat can also pose risks to your vehicle. AAA recommends drivers check these five key areas to help their vehicle safely survive higher temperatures:

1. Battery

2. Engine Coolant

3. Tires

4. Engine Fluids

5. Air Conditioning

Just in Case….Be Prepared for Summer Breakdowns

Even with proper preventive maintenance, summer breakdowns can still occur. AAA recommends every driver have a well-stocked emergency kit in their vehicle. The kit should include water, non-perishable food items, jumper cables, a flashlight with extra batteries, road flares or an emergency beacon, basic hand tools, and a first aid kit.