Never leave kids alone in the car
Preventing child deaths in hot cars
It’s especially important during the hot weather to not leave children unattended in cars. Not even for a minute. The temperature inside a car rises rapidly and can be up to 30˚C hotter than the outside temperature this can mean that even on a coolish day the car can be over 50˚C. Children can not regulate their body temperature as efficiently as adults and will overheat very quickly resulting in serious injury or worse.
Not even for a minute
Risks
Change in routine is a common reason that children have died in hot cars
There’s no such thing as a short trip, a minute shop can turn into 10 or more
Shaded parks do not mean that the car won’t get hot
Kids getting to the car keys inside the house and letting themselves into a hot car
Leaving the car on might keep it cool but adds a high level of risk of the car and child being stolen and the children.
There’s no such thing as a short trip, a minute shop can turn into 10 or more
Shaded parks do not mean that the car won’t get hot
Kids getting to the car keys inside the house and letting themselves into a hot car
Leaving the car on might keep it cool but adds a high level of risk of the car and child being stolen and the children.
Tips
Add safety measures - Being a parent or carer can be exhausting, with this exhaustion can come forgetfulness even with the most important things. It can be helpful to put something that’s always with you in the back with the kids, like your mobile or wallet, this can help jog your tired brain to check the car seats.
Make it a routine - Add checking the car seats into your routine every time you get in and out of the car, even before bub’s born, so it becomes a life saving habit.
Make it a routine - Add checking the car seats into your routine every time you get in and out of the car, even before bub’s born, so it becomes a life saving habit.
Heat and sun are not the only risks
Not even if they're sleepingIt’s never fun to wake a sleeping child but it’s important to not leave children unattended in the car even if this means waking them up or trying to move them while they’re sleeping.
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Not even in the shade or if it's cloudyOn hot days shade and clouds do not stop the heat from getting in to the car. Even on cloudy days it’s important to take the child with you when you leave the vehicle.
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Not even with the car on and the doors lockedLeaving the car on may prevent over heating but there have been a number of cases of vehicles being stolen while children are in the car. It’s important to keep keys and kids out of unattended cars at all times. This adds an extra danger of injury with kids being able to get into the front of the car and release the hand break or get to any of the cars controls that cause the car to move
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NOT EVEN FOR A MINUTEThe temperature inside a car rises rapidly and can be up to 30˚C hotter than the outside temperature, this can mean that even on a coolish day the car can be over 50˚C. It can take only 5 minutes for a child to over heat. You can never control your surroundings so even if you think you’re only popping into the shops quickly there could be a line or an issue that takes you past the 5 minute mark.
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If you see a child left in a car or a child gets locked in a car call 000