In a summer punctuated by horrifying incidents of children dying in hot cars, one state will now allow bystanders to break into a car if they see a kid inside who they believe is in danger.
As of July 1, you can legally smash a window or otherwise forcibly enter a parked car in Tennessee without liability if you have “a good faith belief” the actions help a minor who will suffer “harm if not immediately removed from the vehicle.”
State Rep. David Hawk, who sponsored the bill, called it a landmark piece of legislation.
“I hope this law brings awareness to parents to, number one, not leave their child in a hot car,” Hawk told TODAY Parents.
“But if that does occur in Tennessee, I want our citizens to be aware that they have the ability to take action, to be a Good Samaritan and to save that child without fear of repercussions.”
Last year, 44 children in the U.S. died of heatstroke in cars, according to KidsandCars.org. That grim tally has reached 16 so far this year, including the high-profile case of Cooper Harris, the 22-month old found dead in the family SUV in suburban Atlanta last month. His father has been charged with murder.
While other states have broad laws that protect Good Samaritans from lawsuits, the Tennessee law is unique in that it specifically addresses kids left in cars, said Janette Fennell, founder and president of KidsAndCars.org, a nonprofit child safety organization.
She hopes more states follow suit.
“I think it’s fantastic because many times people are faced with this situation where they might see a small child in a car and think, that’s not my business, I don’t want to get involved,” Fennell said. “When it comes to children, we should all be comfortable with getting involved.”
Because of the danger, Fennell advises people to be proactive, and look inside parked cars whenever they walk through a parking lot. If you spot a child alone inside a car, call 911 immediately, she recommends. If the child looks in serious distress, check to see if there’s any way to get into the car and if not, try to figure out which window you could break so the glass doesn’t harm the child, she added. “People need to step back for a second and say: ‘Would I leave a million dollars in my car?’ I think the answer to that would be, absolutely not,” she said.
Nineteen states now have laws that specifically make it illegal to leave a child unattended in a vehicle, according to KidsAndCars.org.
Experts warn children can get dangerously hot quickly when left alone in a car. Heatstroke can happen when the temperature is as low as 57 degrees Fahrenheit/15 degrees Celsius outside and cracking a window does little to keep the car cool, according to SaferCar.gov.
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