Editorial: Kids left alone in cars can result in tragedy

Friday, June 27, 2003 | 9:37 a.m.

The Missouri-based organization "Kids In Cars" (kidsincars.org) was formed in 1998 after children left alone in an idling van shifted the vehicle into gear, sending it tearing through a park and into a family, killing their baby boy. The organization is now trying to raise everyone's awareness through national statistics and case histories. Since 1998, according to the organization, 172 children left alone in vehicles died from heat exposure and another 48 died after putting the vehicle in motion.

Las Vegas has its own very real problem in this area, with three adults now facing charges of child endangerment as the result of incidents over the past month. The latest incident occurred Wednesday, when a father was charged with leaving his 7-year-old son alone in an idling car in the parking lot of the Clark County Government Center. Charges are effective but pre-emptive education is even more so. We suggest every driver take some time to read the true stories on the Kids In Cars website. We can't imagine anyone who reads these stories ever leaving their children alone in a car.