GEORGETOWN, Del. - The Delaware Office of Highway Safety has postponed its heatstroke prevention event scheduled for Aug. 20 at the Georgetown DMV due to a coastal flood watch affecting Sussex County.
The event is part of OHS’s broader summer engagement campaign in partnership with the Delaware DMV, aimed at educating the public on the dangers of vehicular heatstroke, especially concerning children and pets left inside hot cars.
“As safety remains our top priority, we are postponing today’s scheduled activation out of an abundance of caution,” said Sharon Bryson, director of Delaware's Office of Highway Safety. “We are committed to rescheduling and continuing our mission to educate Delawareans on this life-threatening issue.”
The event was set to include live demonstrations at DMV locations in each of Delaware’s three counties, showing how quickly the temperature inside a vehicle can rise to dangerous levels.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, vehicular heatstroke begins when the body reaches 104 degrees and can be fatal at 107 degrees.
The office is encouraging residents to follow safety practices like never leaving a child or pet in a parked car, checking the back seat before locking up and taking immediate action if a child or animal is seen unattended in a vehicle.
A new date for the Georgetown activation will be announced once weather conditions allow. The remaining scheduled events at other DMV locations are expected to proceed as planned.