Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond speaks at a news conference held to launch a “Look before you lock” campaign at the Tennessee Highway 153 Wal Mart on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn. The campaign seeks to raise awareness of the dangers of leaving children and pets inside of hot cars.As Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond stood in a hot parking lot on Tuesday and warned parents not to leave young kids alone in cars, a big round thermometer set up in a patrol car behind him crept toward 100 degrees.
The temperature in the Hixson Walmart’s parking lot hovered in the mid-80s during the event, at which the sheriff’s office officially launched a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers hot cars pose to pets, elderly people and young children.
“This is a very serious issue,” Hammond said.
The campaign urges adults to “look before you lock” to prevent hot car deaths.
Without air conditioning, temperatures in parked cars can rapidly rise past 100 degrees on hot summer days, and those temperatures can quickly be fatal to young children.