Temperatures are rising in the Santa Clarita Valley and summer is approaching which means to look before you lock as heat-related deaths are preventable.

As temperatures are nearing triple digits recently with more days to come, deputies are reminding residents to avoid leaving pets and children in locked cars.

“On a hot day, even with windows cracked, the inside of the vehicle can reach 120 degrees in minutes,” said Deputy Liza Melgar, spokesperson for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station. 

Anyone who sees a pet or child locked inside of a hot car is being encouraged to call deputies while getting the license number, and wait for law enforcement to arrive, Melgar said. 

“It only takes a few minutes for the inside of the car to heat up in warm weather,” Melgar said.

Help reduce the number of heat-related deaths from heatstroke by remembering the ACT plan:

SCV Sheriff’s Station

Assembly Bill 2717, which went into effect on Jan 1, 2021, would exempt people from certain charges if they break a window out of a car in order to save a child or a pet from the heat.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC) the number of child hot car deaths for 2021 was 23. 

So far in 2022, two deaths have been reported, NSC officials added. 

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.