Res 1139-2019

By Council Member Cabrera Whereas, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has confirmed that vehicular heatstroke poses a grave threat to public safety as, on average, a child dies from vehicular heatstroke once every ten days; and Whereas, Heatstroke begins when body temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit, quickly overwhelming the thermoregulatory system, and becomes lethal when body temperature reaches or exceeds 107 degrees Fahrenheit; and Whereas, Evidence has shown even a mild outside temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit can cause the inside temperature of a vehicle to rise above 110 degrees Fahrenheit within ten minutes; and Whereas, The NHTSA has confirmed that vehicular heatstroke, which occurs when an individual is left in a hot vehicle, allowing their core body temperature to quickly elevate to dangerous levels, is one of the leading causes of non-crash-related fatalities among children; and Whereas, 829 children have died as a result of vehicular heatstroke in the United States since 1998, including 32 children who succumbed to vehicular heatstroke since January 2019; and Whereas, The New York State Assembly has similarly passed legislation sponsored by Assembly Member Magnarelli (A1851) prohibiting a child less than ten years of age from being left unattended in a motor vehicle under conditions presenting a substantial risk; and Whereas, A violation of this law, if enacted, would result in a traffic infraction and a fine, depending on the number of violations; and Whereas, New York State Senate bill S.241 and New York State Assembly bill A.1851 have been passed, but have not yet been delivered to the Governor for signature; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Governor to sign S.2497/A.1851, which would prohibit a child less than ten years of age from being left unattended in a motor vehicle under conditions presenting substantial risk. CD LS 11876 9/10/19