Never leave kids in cars

Dangers of leaving kids in cars

Children can die in hot cars and the risk is highest in summer. The temperature inside a parked car can be 20 to 30 degrees hotter than the temperature outside.

Babies and children are far more sensitive to the heat. A child's body temperature rises 3 to 5 times faster than an adult.

Babies and children are at greater risk of life-threatening heat stroke, brain injury, heart and lung failure, dehydration, and death due to heat.

Parents and drivers should always take the kids with them whenever they get out of their car. Drivers should check every car set and check every time before locking the car.

Leaving the windows down has little effect on the inside temperature of the car. Large cars heat up as quickly as smaller cars.

Can a child really be forgotten in a car?

Our short-term memory doesn’t last long. It forgets items without caring how important they are – whether it’s a phone or something as important as a child.

Because of this, we can’t always trust memory and need to start habits to help ourselves remember.

Prevent fatal distraction

There are some steps you can work into your daily routines to help lower the risk of accidentally leaving a child in a hot car. These include:

• every time you leave the car repeat out loud to yourself: "check every seat, check every time" and actively complete this checking routine
• leave a bag, phone or wallet in the back seat of the car as a reminder to check every car seat
• place a child's bag or cuddly toy in the front seat as a reminder to check every car seat
• install electronic controls that create an audio reminder to check every car seat.

Cost to families

In Victoria, it is against the law to leave a child unattended in a car. Penalties include:

• fines
• up to 6 months' jail.

However, the cost to families can be far higher. Children can die in hot cars and the risk is highest in summer.

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