Children in Vehicles

Every year there are children that are left alone in vehicles. Of those, more than 100 will die. Temperatures can get extreme in a vehicle. Children can also die from exposure to cold temperatures in a vehicle, especially at night. If you have just come home from a long drive and have little ones, you know they can be fast asleep and not respond when you say "We're Home". Make sure eveyone makes it inside. Much more dangerous is the risk of high temperatures in a vehicle left outside during the day. This is when most all fatalities occur when children are left inside a vehicle. Never leave a child alone or allow them to play in vehicles.

In Texas it is against the law if someone intentionally or knowingly leaves a child in a motor vehicle for longer than five minutes, know that the child is (1) younger than seven years of age and (2) not attended by an individual in the vehicle who is 14 years of age or older. The penalties are six months to 2 years in jail with a fine up to $10,000.