A campaign urging Victorians not to leave children in cars launched this month after there were more than 380 callouts to people locked in cars — the majority of whom were children and toddlers — since the end of September.
The Never Leave Kids in Cars campaigns were launched recently by Ambulance Victoria warning parents about the dangers of leaving their children in the car, even for an instant, and encouraging them to develop routines so that they automatically check the back seat before they lock up.
A car’s temperature can more than double within minutes and a child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s, meaning they are at greater risk of life-threatening heatstroke, dehydration and organ damage when left in the car.
Victorian paramedics responded to 1410 callouts to people locked in vehicles in 2020, and 144 of them were last month. A majority of the incidents involved babies and children aged up to three years.
“Last summer Ambulance Victoria saw too many call outs for kids locked in cars,” Maryborough Ambulance acting team manager Erin Peers said.
“In our book, one kid locked in a car is too many. In almost all cases it’s not deliberate and thankfully the child is often freed by the time our crews arrive, but it is a reminder to check that your keys are in your hands and the kids are out of the car before you lock the door.”
The local CFA branch also receives callouts to assist with incidents where children have been locked in cars.
A recent incident attended by the Maryborough Fire Brigade was on December 1 when a child become locked in a vehicle on Clarendon Street when the car’s keys were left in the vehicle and locked when the car door were shut — brigade members was able to spring open the door in a matter of minutes and the child was not distressed.
Maryborough Fire Brigade Captain Darryl Wagstaff said while the brigade only attended four callouts to children locked in cars during 2020, it’s too many.
“If you’re going into a shop, take your kids with you because the temperature of the car can increase significantly in hotter months,” he said.
“It’s not a job we enjoy getting.”
If you notice that a child has been left unattended in a vehicle, Ambulance Victoria advises calling Triple Zero (000) and ask for the fire brigade.
Give your location, the vehicle registration number, the approxi- mate age of the child and the child’s condition. Safely try to remove the child from the vehicle if you are concerned about their condition.
If someone is displaying symptoms of extremely high temperature, flushed dry skin, a rapid pulse, headache and disorientation, you should call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
