Parents are being warned not to leave their children in cars this summer as new statistics reveal Cranbourne rates as one of the top 10 postcodes for ambulance call outs to kids stuck in vehicles.
Concerning new data shows Ambulance Victoria responded to 1,696 callouts across Victoria in the year to August, with the vast majority being cases involving toddlers and babies left in cars.
On average, four kids a day are being put at risk of serious heat-related injury or death by being left unattended in parked cars.
A new State Government campaign, which features AFL legend Matthew Richardson aims to make people aware of the potential dangers of leaving children in hot cars.
Kidsafe and Ambulance Victoria will work with the State Government in The Never Leave Kids in Cars campaign to increase awareness and remind parents just how easy it is to underestimate the time it can take to run a quick errand.
Childrens’ body temperatures rise 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 and will see advertisements run on television, radio and social media.
In Victoria, it is against the law to leave children unattended, with offenders facing fines of up to $3900 or jail for six months, or both.
The top 10 postcodes for callouts were Werribee (43 callouts), Narre Warren (42), Tarneit (41), Pakenham (38), Frankston South (34), Roxburgh Park (33), Cranbourne (31), Ballarat (28), Melton (26) and Preston (23).
Minister for Families and Children Jenny Mikakos said there were no excuses for children to be left in a car, adding a car’s temperature can more than double within minutes.
“Don’t let a moment of complacency or frustration put your loved ones at risk – always take them with you.”
“Hot summer days can kill, and even on a milder day in the mid-20s, the temperature inside a parked vehicle can easily get to 20 to 30 degrees hotter than outside,” she said.
