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Fennell \"Good Morning America,\" that this year alone, the number of fatalities which involved children entering vehicles on their own have jumped to 55%.

Fennell said the increase could be due to families being home during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

\"In many cases the kids end up on the floorboards, so when people look inside [the car] they don't see them. It's just heartbreaking that these kids die in their own driveways,\" Fennell explained.

Fennell said if you cannot locate your child and don't have a body of water or swimming pool, look inside vehicles or in trunks.

Safety tips to make sure children cannot get into a parked car

1. Keep vehicles locked at all times, especially in the garage or driveway. Ask neighbors and visitors to do the same.

2. Never leave car keys within reach of children.

3. Teach children to honk the horn if they become stuck inside a car.

4. If a child is missing, immediately check the inside, floorboards and trunk of all vehicles in the area very carefully.

The Hot Cars Act, which passed on July 1 in the House of Representatives, is a federal bill that would require available, affordable technology to detect the presence of a child inside a vehicle. Fennell stresses that parents should have additional layers of protection when trying to prevent hot car-related tragedies.

There is no word yet on when the bill will be voted on in the Senate.

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