NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office is distributing free 'Baby in the Back' hangtags in 2026 following the April 15 death of a 7-month-old boy in Putnam County who was left in a hot vehicle. The hangtags are part of a program designed to remind drivers to check the back seat before exiting their cars.

According to authorities, the infant was found unresponsive in a vehicle outside the Monterey Public Library on an 82-degree day. His death marked one of five pediatric vehicular heatstroke fatalities nationwide so far in 2026 and the only such death in Tennessee this year.

Tennesseans can request the free hangtags through the Secretary of State’s Office by completing an online form. Officials say the tags are intended to alert bystanders to check a vehicle if a child appears to have been left inside.

According to officials, a car’s interior temperature can climb to about 114 degrees within 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, the temperature can rise another 10 degrees, and within an hour, some vehicles may reach interior temperatures as high as 140 degrees. Officials say all pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths can be prevented.

Since 1998, 1,047 children across the United States have died from pediatric vehicular heatstroke, according to NoHeatStroke.org. Of those deaths, 33 occurred in Tennessee. The organization’s analysis of media reports found that 52.9% of cases—531 children—were left accidentally by a caregiver. In 23.8% of cases, children entered a vehicle on their own, while 21.9% involved children knowingly left inside by a caregiver. The circumstances in 14 cases remain unknown.