ATLANTA – On Tuesday, Governor Nathan Deal, First Lady Sandra Deal, and Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs calleg for families and caregivers of children to have heightened awareness of the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles.

Since 2010, 11 children in Georgia have died due to vehicular heatstroke.

Jacobs said over 370,000 children in Georgia are cared for daily by approximately 5,300 child care providers most of whom regularly transport children to and from home, after school to the child care center, and on field trips.

“We receive calls about incidents where children are left in vehicles from a few minutes to several hours, and we investigate each incident,” Jacobs explained.

Jacobs said “Look Again” is a message to anyone caring for a child ‒ child care programs, teachers, parents, and grandparents ‒ to always account for the children in their care as they drive them from place to place. “When you arrive at your destination, check the front and back of your car, and after you’ve looked, just to be sure, look again. There is absolutely no reason for a child to suffer or die in these conditions,” she stressed.

Officials also ask the public to be their eyes and ears in the community, and if they see a child left alone in a vehicle, call 911 immediately; emergency personnel are trained to respond.