US map showing where deaths of children left in hot cars occurred (so far this year)

[ailsagirl]

It's a terrible problem that just keeps occurring. I happened upon this page and was struck by the fact that there have been incidents in TX, MO, FL, PA, OH, LA, IA, NY, NC, MS, AL, VA, KY, and GA but nothing in the rest of the country. Seems odd.

More info here:

http://noheatstroke.org/

[LeftyMom]

3. No, just over half of Americans live west of the Mississippi.

The mean center of population (the point where half of Americans live north of the point and half live south, half live east and half west) falls in MO and advances southwest with each census.

http://www.census.gov/geo/reference/centersofpop/animatedmean2010.html

[cwydro]

8. "Most of the dumbest people live in the South"

Really dude?

[csziggy]

12. Maybe it has more to do with lower wages and right to work laws

That make people have to work longer hours or two jobs so they are so harried and tired they can't keep track of essentials such as where their children are.

[3catwoman3]

2. This is a 100% preventable situation.

I just don't get it.

[ailsagirl]

4. I don't either

Someone in my office was late to work because she was nearly there but then saw her daughter was in the back seat so she took her to daycare but wow-- can you imagine doing something like that??

[former9thward]

5. Arizona has the hottest temperatures in the nation but no deaths.

Interesting.

[Egnever]

7. people who live here understand how hot cars get

I am actually in Vegas but with similar weather. Try getting in your car when it has been sitting in the 110 heat. It isn't fun. You would have to be a complete moron to leave a kid in the car. Not that it doesn't happen but it is much more understandable in milder climates.

Here you are just downright looney tunes if you even think of doing something so foolish.

[Nevernose]

16. People in Vegas leave their kids in the car

The other (lovely) nine months, most of which are cool enough to feel lovely, but hot enough to kill

[Stinky The Clown]

6. Texas, Florida, and Mississippi.

[bigwillq]

11. The South is hot (nt)

[LeftyMom]

13. The west is CONSIDERABLY hotter and doesn't have this problem.

?v=ap&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0

[bigwillq]

14. They must have fancier cars (nt)

[LeftyMom]

15. You see that big red bit around Fresno? If that were a state it would be poorer than AL or MS.

So, for that matter, would the other end of the valley around Redding.

I've spent a lot of time in the South and it doesn't hold a candle to the poverty and isolation of the intermountain west. There are stretches of NV where there might not be ten stickbuilt houses in the whole county, and where entire communities have no utilities.

So no, I rather doubt it's fancier cars. It's actually a lot easier to keep an old car on the road out here: it's too dry to rust.