Sarah Snell Cooke, Cooke Consulting Solutions

My husband was walking into a CVS last fall, when a sign caught his attention. 

Look Before You Lock, it read.

As our first grandchild was about to be born, the issue hit close to home with us.

You think, that will never happen to me. I could never forget my baby in the car. Or, it's not that hot - Fido will be fine for a few minutes, but then you run into a friend and start gabbing. Before you know it the worst could happen. 

In 2022, 33 children died from being locked in hot cars, below the average 38, according to the National Safety Council. Nearly every state has experienced at least one death since 1998, although those with warmer climates, like California, Texas and Florida are the highest. 

Additionally, PETA reports that 54 animals died from heat-related deaths last year, and, fortunately, another 469 were rescued. Many animal deaths, however, go unreported, so we can't be sure, but...

Let's see if we can get both of those figures to 0.

What can credit unions do?

The tragedy of a child or pet's death is awful, possibly compounded by the fact it was someone's fault, even when accidental. A car acts like an oven, an unimaginable way to go. 

According to the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association), the interior temperature of your car can rise dramatically in no time. Contrary to the layman's consensus, cracking a window does no good.

Credit unions have more than 21,000 branches across the U.S. Most of the nearly 5,000 credit unions have social media. Think of the awareness credit unions can bring to this crucial matter with a couple of simple, no- or low-cost steps that will save lives and heartache.

Look Before You Lock is a program of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA, with campaigns starting late spring as temperatures begin to rise. They caution, however, that any time of year is a bad time to leave kids or pets in the car.

The Credit Union Connection has put our own spin on it to encourage credit unions and their business partners to download and use these FREE posters, social media templates, stickers and more to remind our members and communities to Look Before You Lock. 

Download the resources, and add your logo if you wish, to:

• Post wherever members walk past: lobby doors, teller stations, ATM and other digital graphics, and more! 

• Hand them out with every car loan. 

• Wear and share the stickers in your branches. 

• Share the materials with your business members and SEGs to get them involved.

• Anything to keep our families - including our furry members - safe!

We welcome you to get creative on the placement and let your community and members know your credit union is looking out for them. When your credit union participates, be sure to send us the pix of your branches with the sign in the door or at the teller station and be sure to tag us in social, so we can re-share! Use your own designs if you'd like - we're just here to spread the word about Look Before You Lock!

Credit unions are a powerful force for good. Let's do this!