NHTSA campaign to keep children out of hot cars

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) held an event Friday to remind parents to "look before they lock".

It's part of an effort to prevent instances of infants and young children being left in hot cars.

Officials say so far this year 11 children have died of heatstroke after this happened.

In Hacksensack, New Jersey,it was a dramatic and frightening scene outside a Costco store on Thursday as shoppers spotted a child trapped in a stifling minivan.

Witnesses said they could hear the child wailing from inside.

An officer was quickly called and sprang into action, smashing the glass.

That's when he realized the little girl was left all alone. When officers took her out, the little girl was drenched in sweat.

They started to run the license plate to find the parents. Within moments, the little girl's mother showed up, carrying another child.

The toddler was treated at at a local Hospital and released to the custody of her father.

The mother was charged with child endangerment and released on her own recognizance.

At Friday's event "Look Before You Lock" event, NHTSA officials said it's not just parents who need to be aware.

"We have a responsibility," said one organizer. "Look before you lock, but if you see a child in a car, you must act. That is a life that you could save."

What you may not know is just how hot it can be inside a locked car in the summer.

Even when it's just 77 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car can soar to 129 degrees.