WA law change: No civil penalty for rescuing children or animals from hot cars

A new law has been passed in Washington that protects people from lawsuits if they break into a stranger’s car and rescue a child or animal in danger.

House Bill 1046 will take effect on July 27, allowing people to avoid civil liability for property damage when taking action and breaking the glass of a car if there is no method for a vulnerable person or animal inside to escape.

WA law aims to limit heatstroke deaths inside cars

HB 1046 includes several details that certify a legal rescue of a vulnerable person inside a car, which include the need for calling 911 before entering the vehicle, and remaining on the scene in care of the animal or child until law enforcement arrives.

Additionally, the new law applies to vulnerable adults and allows for the rescue of a person who is impaired due to mental, emotional, sensory, brain damage, or age, among others.

Since 1998, more than 1,000 children have died nationwide from heatstroke trapped inside a car, which includes 15 cases so far this year, according to a report by No HeatStroke (NHS).

Additionally, NHS provided statistics explaining how quickly the temperature can rise inside a vehicle across various outside air temperatures.

Temperatures are set to reach the mid-to-low 80s in Seattle ahead of the weekend, and a car sitting in the 80-degree sun could reach more than 110 degrees inside the vehicle in just 25 minutes, according to data from NHS.

KIRO 7 reporter Eric Thomas spoke to Christie Valey of South County Fire, and Valey explained the importance of keeping children and animals safe when left in a vehicle.

“They can heat up to 19 degrees in 10 minutes, even with the window cracked. So, that means your pets or your child is gonna get hot very quickly. Never leave a child in a car, even for a minute,” Veley told KIRO 7.

The last heatstroke death inside a vehicle occurred on May 24, 2023, when a one-year-old in Puyallup died in 77-degree weather, NHS stated.

“Even if you park in the shade or crack your window a little bit, it does very little to change the inside temperature of your car,” Laura Dunn with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told KIRO 7. “If you wanna run a quick errand, leave the A/C on, leave the window cracked ― we want to stress to people that it is not something that will make their car a safe temperature. Don’t make that choice.”

Follow Jason Sutich on X. Send news tips here.