Heat Safety Advisory from GEICO: Do Not Leave Children or Pets Unattended in Vehicles

Business Wire, June 10, 2008

TUCSON, Ariz. -- With temperatures expected to be in the triple digits for the next few weeks, now is the time to be mindful of the hazardous risks to children and pets left in unattended vehicles.

"Leaving a child alone in a vehicle is never a good idea," said Martha Furnas, GEICO assistant vice president.

"Even if it's just for a few moments while running errands, it's enormously dangerous. And in our extreme hot conditions, a child's body temperature increases three to five times faster than that of an adult. The child could build up heat so rapidly that he or she could suffer from heat stroke in just minutes."

Furnas added, "Leaving children unattended could lead to other dangerous situations, such as a child wandering off, getting lost, attempting to drive or even being kidnapped. We want to remind all parents and caretakers about these dangers."

Furnas noted that pets also require the same protection from extremely hot weather conditions that develop very quickly in parked cars. GEICO offers the following safety tips:

* Never leave a child or animal unattended in a car, even with the windows down. On a typical sunny, summer day, the temperature inside a car can reach potentially deadly levels within minutes.

* Before buckling children in the car, check to make sure seating surfaces and car seat and seat belt buckles aren't overly hot as they could burn a child's sensitive skin.

* If your child gets locked inside a car, dial 911.

* If you see a child or animal unattended in a car, be an active participant and call 911.

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is the fourth-largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States. It provides auto insurance coverage for more than 8 million policyholders and insures more than 13 million vehicles. In addition to auto insurance, GEICO offers customers insurance products for their motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATV's), boats, homes, apartments and mobile homes. Personal umbrella protection and life insurance are also available. As a member of the Berkshire Hathaway group of companies, GEICO is rated A for financial stability by A.M. Best Company and ranks at the top of several national customer satisfaction surveys. For more information, go to http://www.geico.com.