To protect cars on the road, drivers get Virginia auto insurance, but to protect child passengers, parents and caregivers need to be extra vigilant this summer.

The "Where's Baby? Look Before You Lock" national campaign draws attention to incidents like that of Raelyn Balfour, who works at the University of Virginia. She accidentally left her son in her vehicle while on the job; he subsequently passed away, one of 38 such incidents on average annually according to statistics from the Department of Geosciences (DGS) at San Francisco University. According to the DGS, more than half of those accidental deaths are children one year old or younger.

"The biggest mistake that anybody can make is thinking that 'how can anybody forget their child?'," said National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) administrator David Strickland. "Anyone can do it. It could happen to me."

The NHTSA and the Senate passed a transportation bill pushing for driver alert systems and seatbelt reminders to protect children, but until these become standard in all vehicles the danger of forgetting a child in the hot summer months will still require Virginians be hyper-aware of the back seat. These new precautions will safeguard a family's new addition along with quality Virginia auto insurance.