Hot cars ‘prove deadly’

AMBULANCE Victoria has released alarming figures of the number of children being locked in cars as part of a warning to others coming into the hot weather months.
Paramedics were called to cases of children locked in cars on an average of five times a day last summer in Victoria.
During a 12-month period until 31 August, 22 reports were made from the Cranbourne postcode, 18 from Narre Warren, 17 from Berwick, eight from Endeavour Hills and four from Hampton Park.
The alarming figures have promoted a warning from paramedics with the weather warming up.
Group manager Brett Drummond said leaving children in a car could prove deadly.
“Tragically, there have been cases of children dying in hot cars in Victoria in recent years,” he said.
“Babies and young children can’t regulate their body temperature like adults can, so being left in a hot car can quickly become life threatening.
“It doesn’t have to be a scorching hot day for the car to quickly heat up.
“Tests by Ambulance Victoria found that even on a 29-degree day the inside of a car can reach 44 degrees within 10 minutes and hit 60 degrees within 20 minutes.
“This can be catastrophic and unfortunately in the past there have been cases of children dying in hot cars. Leaving them in the car even for a few minutes is not acceptable.”
Mr Drummond said accidents where keys were locked in the car with a child were common, while other cases were deliberate acts.
“Some people think they can just duck into the shop and leave their child, but there’s a risk they will be delayed and it’s a risk that’s not worth taking,” he said.
“It’s also common for keys to be accidentally locked in the car with the child.
“We urge parents to be mindful and keep the keys in their hand while they are getting children and shopping in and out of the car.”