Maricopa County kicks off annual push to remind parents not to leave kids in hot cars

PHOENIX — Maricopa County officials kicked off their annual campaign Monday to remind parents that hot cars and their children don’t mix.

Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said he hopes to build on the success of last year’s Don’t Leave Me Behind campaign.

“Last year during the campaign, we had zero hot car deaths. Zero,” he said.

In hopes of another year with no deaths in hot cars, Montgomery decided to extend the drive.

“We’re also extending that goal by expanding our summer campaign from two months to four months, going from May 1 all the way through Aug. 31,” he said.

The county has a newly designed web page, safekidsaz.org, that has videos and tips to help spread the message.

“At the top of the page, you’ll see a counter showcasing how many day into what amounts to a 123-day campaign where we’ve met our goal of having zero instances of children or pets being left behind in vehicles,” Montgomery said.

A mobile billboard truck will also be traveling through the county, with signage warning people about the dangers of leaving young children and pets in unattended vehicles.

The roll signage features an image of a child and a small dog left inside a parked car as a reminder to drivers not to leave them behind.