July 17, 2014

More Kids Die in Hot Cars Than I Would Have Guessed


Over at Vox, today’s headline reads:

How many kids die in hot cars? Not as many as you think.

It’s accompanied by the chart on the right, which shows exactly how many children die after being locked in hot cars. And it’s….actually higher than I would have guessed.

Why? I think it’s a function of media cynicism. In the same way that the press overhypes child abductions, leading to insane suburban fears and the passage of _____’s Law all over the country, I figure that the press is so eager to highlight grisly stuff like this that it ends up being national news every single time it happens. If that’s true, it would suggest that maybe three or four kids die in overheated cars each year. But no! My cynicism is (slightly) misplaced. In fact, only a small percentage of these deaths make the front page.

Now, granted, this is still less than one death per year in each state, which means it’s not exactly a spiraling epidemic. Still, if you’d asked me, I think I would have guessed the number was around five or ten. I also would have guessed that all the media attention would have led to a decrease in these deaths, but the chart doesn’t suggest that either. Apparently, scaring the hell out of people doesn’t really cause them to be any more careful.

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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