Look before you lock -- July 31 (annual "Heatstroke Prevention Day")

KidsAndCars.org's Look Before You Lock safety education tips include: •Get in the habit of always opening the back door of your vehicle every time you reach your destination to check to make sure no child - or pet - has been left behind. •Keep a large stuffed animal in the child's car seat. Right before the child is placed in the seat, move the stuffed animal to the front passenger seat as a visual reminder that your child is in the back seat. •Put something you'll need on the floorboard in the back seat in front of your child's car seat (cellphone, handbag, employee ID, briefcase, left shoe, etc.). This ensures you open the back door of your vehicle to retrieve your belongings. •Make arrangements with your daycare provider or babysitter to call you within 10 minutes if your child does not arrive as expected. •Never leave children alone in or around cars, not even for a minute. Instead, use drive-thru services when available. •Keep vehicles locked at all times, even in the garage or driveway, and keep car keys and remote openers out of reach of children. •When a child is missing, call 911 and check the inside of vehicles and car trunks immediately. About KidsAndCars.org: Founded in 1996, KidsAndCars.org is the only national nonprofit child safety organization that is solely dedicated to preventing injuries and deaths of children in and around vehicles. KidAndCars.org promotes awareness among parents, caregivers and the general public about the dangers to children, including backover and frontover incidents, and heat stroke from being inadvertently left in a vehicle. The organization works to prevent tragedies through data collection, education and public awareness, policy change, product redesign and survivor advocacy.