Summer is in full swing, and the temperature inside a hot car can be life-threatening. Each year, an average of 36 children die from hyperthermia after being left inside a hot car. So far this year, 18 infants and children have died, according to a recent study by San Francisco State University (SFSU). And in 2007, there were 35 fatalities. The victims’ ages range from infants to 13 years old, but the average age is about 24 months old. From 1998 to 2007, more than half of the incidents were caused by caregivers who forgot a child in the vehicle.

For more information about this preventable problem, see our Autos blog, and our reports on hot car dangers and childproofing your garage, driveway, and basement.