With hot summer temperatures already here, AAA Northeast is warning everyone about the dangers of leaving children and pets in hot cars.

According to AAA officials, an average of 38 children die in hot cars each year.

On a typical 80-degree summer day, officials said the interior temperature of a vehicle increases by 20 degrees in 10 minutes, and can reach a deadly 109 degrees in 20 minutes. Cracking the window has little effect, officials stated.

Heatstroke is the result of the internal body temperature reaching 104 degrees. Children and pets are much more susceptible due to their thermoregulatory systems; the body temperature of children rises at a rate 3 to 5 times faster than adults, officials said. These tragedies primarily occur due to one three scenarios:

• About 20% of these deaths result from a caregiver knowingly leaving a child in the vehicle, such as while running a quick errand or letting the child finish a nap. The majority of temperature rise occurs within the first 15 to 30 minutes.

• About 53% of these deaths occur when the caregiver forgets the child is in the vehicle. This often involves a change in the family’s routine, such as when a different parent or guardian is the one responsible for a day to take the child to daycare, officials explained. To combat this, authorities suggest leaving your cell phone, work bag or purse in the back seat when you have the child, so that you have a reminder.

• The remaining 26% of cases are related to the child gaining access to the vehicle without adult supervision. The child may be playing a game of hide and seek or they take they accidentally lock themselves inside while exploring. Officials said it is important to leave your vehicles locked at all times, even in driveways and garages.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and Association of Global Automakers have voluntarily agreed to integrate “rear seat reminder” warning systems in vehicles to alert caregivers to check the back seat for child passengers in every car sold in the U.S. by the 2025 model year, officials said.

Several manufacturers have already included the technology.

AAA urges anyone who finds a child or pet alone in a locked car to call 911 immediately and take action to remove the passenger.