ZAKA and Betrem Urge Parents to Prevent Child Heatstroke in Cars This Summer
ZAKA and the Betrem organization for child safety have issued an urgent call to parents, especially during the summer months, to prevent the tragic forgetting of children in vehicles. Such incidents, often seen as parental neglect, are actually linked to cognitive failures that can affect even the most responsible caregivers. Experts explain that fatigue, stress, or routine changes can cause the brain to operate on "autopilot," leading parents to mistakenly believe they have dropped their child off when the child remains in the car.
Data from Betrem shows that between 2021 and 2025, 23 children died from being forgotten or trapped in vehicles, 53 were injured, and 1,513 were rescued safely. The risk is particularly deadly in summer, as temperatures inside a closed car can reach about 70 degrees Celsius within half an hour, even if the outside temperature is around 30 degrees. Opening windows or parking in the shade does not eliminate the danger. Infants and toddlers are especially vulnerable because their bodies heat up three to five times faster than adults and they cannot escape on their own.
ZAKA volunteer and emergency medic Shay Romano recounted a recent rescue of a non-responsive infant locked in a car in the Gush Dan area. After breaking the window and providing life-saving treatment, Romano emphasized how easily distraction can lead to such dangerous situations. Betrem CEO Orly Silbinger highlighted that summer vacation disrupts routines and increases heat exposure, making these incidents more likely. ZAKA CEO Rabbi Tzvi Hasid stressed that preventing these deaths is in parents' hands and urged them not to cause volunteers to face these painful scenes.
Betrem recommends several preventive measures: placing an essential item like keys or a bag in the back seat to prompt checking there, setting daily phone reminders for drop-off times, establishing a routine of confirming children have arrived safely with the other parent, involving older siblings in ensuring everyone exits the vehicle, and installing smart alert systems as an additional safeguard.
