Health officials warn about the dangers of hot cars leading into the summer months

CNN– As the temperatures rise into the summer months, health officials are warning about the dangers of hot cars. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control says the Palmetto State has had 22 deaths resulting from hot cars since 1998. Around 38 children on average die every year after being left in a hot car, according to the Kids and Car Safety Organization.

When it’s 75 degrees, officials say it takes 30 minutes for the inside of your car to hit 104 degrees, but the danger rises with the temperature. At 95 degrees outside, it takes five minutes for the inside to reach 102.

Health officials say sometimes exhausted parents accidentally forget their child is in the car. Experts suggest buckling a stuffed animal in the front seat or putting something you need in the backseat with your child.