Hot Car Rescues: New CA Law Protects Good Samaritans

WALNUT CREEK, CA — A new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom this week will provide immunity to good Samaritans who break windows to rescue children ages 6 and younger who are trapped inside vehicles and need to be rescued.

The law, Assembly Bill 2717, will take effect on Jan. 1.

“Here in California, for 2018 and 2019, there were six children who died after being left in a hot car – that’s six children too many. Those are innocent and precious lives that could have been saved, and that is the reason why I introduced this legislation,” said Assemblymember Ed Chau, Assembly District 49 (D-Monterey Park).

AAA Northern California points out that it doesn’t have to be the middle of the summer for a child to get overheated. Temperatures inside a car can rise 19 degrees in as little as 10 minutes. Furthermore, young children heat up three to five times faster than an adult, according to Safe Kids Worldwide.

AAA urges everyone to incorporate “ACT” into their routines to prevent heat related tragedies:

• A: Avoid heat stroke-related tragedies by always checking the front and back seats of your vehicle before you get out. Consider keeping a stuffed animal or other memento in your child’s car seat when it’s empty, and move it to the front seat as a visual reminder when your child is in the back seat.
• C: Create reminders. Ask your childcare provider to call if your child does not show up to daycare when they normally do. If you are dropping off your child, and it’s normally your spouse or caregiver’s duty, have them call you to ensure the drop-off went accordingly.
• T: Take action. Always lock your doors and keep keys out of reach so children cannot get into the car. Keep the rear fold-down seats closed to help prevent kids from getting into the trunk. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911.

“This new law enables good Samaritans to take action without hesitation to save a child,” said Sergio Avila spokesperson for AAA Northern California. “On behalf of our Members, AAA Northern California would like to thank Assemblymember Chau and Gov. Newsom for recognizing the need for this life-saving legislation.”

Chau says the new law provides both criminal and civil immunity. Again, the effective date for the new law is Jan. 1, 2021.