RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — As the temperature rises and the summer months approach, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is asking drivers with young children to be careful leaving them in cars unattended.

According to VDOT, 33 children died from vehicular heatstroke across the United States in 2022. Two deaths related to vehicular heat stroke have been reported so far in 2023. Nearly every state in the U.S. has had at least one death related to vehicular heatstroke since 1998.

It only takes a few minutes for the temperature inside a car to reach deadly levels, according to VDOT.