The temperatures inside a locked car can quickly rise whether it’s hot outside or not. On a sunny 70-degree day, it only takes about a half hour for the temperature inside a car take to reach 104 degrees. That temperature can be costly for a child locked in a car. That’s why we created PALSavesKids™.

Pop-A-Lock™, America’s largest security company, today announced its PALSavesKids™ program has rescued over 350,000 children locked in their caregivers’ automobiles for FREE. The public service program reminds busy caregivers to be hyper-vigilant of their children’s presence during the hot summer months through a new call-to-action: PALSaves1-Stop, 2-Look, 3-Lock.

“Our organization receives calls virtually every day about a child who has been mistakenly locked in the family car,” said Don Marks, CEO of Pop-A-Lock. “In fact, more children die of heat stroke from being locked in a car, than are killed by forward-moving accidents which is a senseless tragedy.” He added, “Please follow our PALSavesKids prompt and stop and look before you lock your vehicle, but if you forget, call Pop-A-Lock immediately, along with emergency services, and we’ll come open your car for free.”

PALSavesKids is a free community service program that was originally launched in 1991 under its former name, Emergency Door Unlocking. Since that time, Pop-A-Lock associates have saved over 350,000 children across the country for free. The program now includes a new call-to-action: PALSaves 1-2-3; 1-stop, 2-look, 3- lock, which is accompanied by a new mascot, the PALS Puppy. The new mascot is a gentle reminder to parents to look before they lock their vehicles. Pop-A-Lock wants education, not blame. Mistakes happen, but with these reminders, we can greatly decrease the frequency with which children get locked inside cars.

“We are so proud of our PALSavesKids program,” said Mr. Marks. “It is such a natural thing to protect our children through the security services we’ve become experts in. It’s just one of the ways we can give back in our communities.”

Here are a few tips to keep in mind to avoid forgetting your child ina  locked car. 

  1. Take your kids with you, even if you’re only going to be out for a few minutes. Many states have unattended child laws that make this mandatory. Being in the habit of taking your kids with you every time you get out of the car will help you remember to do so even on busy days.
  2. Don’t leave keys within reach of your children, whether at home or out and about. Auto lock buttons make it extremely easy for kids to lock themselves in the car.
  3. Keep a spare set of keys with you. Don’t keep them on the same key ring as your main set! Spare keys are a good idea for so many reasons. (P.S.  Pop-A-Lock can duplicate most car keys for much less than your dealer.)
  4. Communicate with your child’s other caretakers. The most dangerous lock-ins occur when a child is forgotten in the backseat for long periods of time, such as a full work day. Often, one parent assumes the other has dropped the child off at daycare. Ask your daycare or preschool to call you any time your child is absent.
  5. Make sure your car trunk has a release mechanism on the inside. Older kids who are playing around your car might shut themselves in the trunk and be unable to get out.
  6. Teach your kids that the car is not a safe place to play. Unattended cars and kids are a dangerous combination.
  7. Have a plan to check the car seat every time you leave the car. Some people put an important item like a wallet or phone on the floor in front of the car seat so they have to look every time they leave the car. Others have signs on the dashboard. Never assume that you’re incapable of forgetting.
  8. Program Pop-A-Lock’s number into your phone now. Even with good precautions, accidents happen. Pop-A-Lock locksmiths around the country provide free, fast emergency door unlocks that save lives. We work with first responders and emergency services to get there fast, work effectively, and rescue your child 24/7.