DeSantis Approves Law Designating April As Hot Car Death Prevention Month In Honor Of Infant

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo by Ron DeSantis | Facebook

In a climate as blistering as Florida’s, it is important to be aware of how hot it can get inside of a parked car and how leaving loved ones like pets or children in a hot car can lead to serious injury or death. As such, House Bill 591 was proposed to officially dedicate April as Hot Car Death Prevention Month.

In the House of Representatives Staff Final Bill Analysis, the House reports that 969 children have been lost to vehicular heatstroke in the United States since 1998. A total of 505 of these children were “forgotten by a caregiver”, and 237 of these children were “knowingly left behind by a caregiver”. 

Of the 969 children lost to vehicular heatstroke since 1998, more than half were under the age of 2, and 110 of them were lost in Florida. Of these 110 children lost since 1998 in Florida, 7 of them were lost in 2023. 

In addition, between 2012 and 2022, Florida law enforcement issued 1,282 citations for leaving children under the age of 6 unsupervised or unattended in a car. Of these citations, 802 were issued for leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle for a period of time longer than 15 minutes.

Nicknamed “Ariya’s Act”, House Bill 591 has been implemented in honor of 10-month-old Ariya Paige of Baker County, who died of heatstroke after being left in a hot vehicle in July 2023. She was left in a car for approximately five hours in 95-degree weather while under the care of her babysitter. The babysitter was arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child. 

Now, due to Ariya’s Act, effective as of July 1, 2024, and starting in 2025, the month of April will officially be dedicated as Hot Car Death Prevention Month in order to raise awareness surrounding the issue and prevent future tragedies like Ariya’s.

House Bill 591 was originally prepared by the Children, Families, and Elders Affairs Committee, filed on November 20, 2023; and unanimously voted through in the Senate and House with votes of 38-0 and 118-0, respectively. It was presented to Governor DeSantis on March 27, 2024, and he approved it on April 5, 2024.

For complete details on this new law, click here to read both pages of House Bill 591. For the official summary of the bill, click here. 
​
Article by Ema Tibbetts