News 12 at 6 o'clock / Friday, June 29, 2012

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- As temperatures heat up, Safe Kids Augusta is reminding you to look before you lock.

Seven children have already died in the U.S. this year from being left in hot cars. Georgia averages about three deaths a year.

With this triple-digit heat, a car can feel like an oven.

Rene Hopkins, coordinator for Safe Kids East Central, put a few cookies and smores on the dash board of a car left in the sun. In just a few hours, the cookies and smores had melted.

"The temperatures in cars elevate very very quickly, and children's body temperatures elevate three to five times faster than that of an adult," Hopkins said.

She says setting a reminder on your phone, putting something in your backseat like a briefcase or keeping your car locked at all times when it's not being used can prevent an accident like this.

She also says to always take action and call 911 if you see a child alone in a car.

Here are a few statistics on just how fast your car heats up:

• 19 degrees in 10 minutes
  
• 29 degrees in 20 minutes
  
• 34 degrees in 30 minutes
  
• 43 degrees in 60 minutes
  
• 45 to 50 degrees in one to two hours

---

Have information or an opinion about this story? Click here to contact the newsroom.

---

Copyright WRDW-TV News 12. All rights reserved. This material may not be republished without express written permission.