HARTFORD--Heading into the first heat wave of the summer, a renewed campaign to "Look Before You Lock."
The campaign, launched last year after a 15-month-old Ridgefield boy died in a hot car, warns parents that parked cars can get 20 to 50 degrees hotter on the inside than what the temperature is outside.
That's why drivers heading in and out of Connecticut cities will often see warnings on electronic billboards to check the backseat for a child.
"We do recommend that parents leave a cell phone in back, some people have even suggested they leave their shoe in back with a child," Kevin Borrup, Associate Director of the Injury Prevention Center at the Connecticut Childrens Medical Center, said. "Because you certainly can't go anywhere without your shoe."
On average, 38 children nationwide die in hot cars each year.
The "Look Before You Lock!" campaign also includes radio spots and ads in Connecticut magazines.