By REBECCA BILLS and JESSE GRAHAM
OVER the past year 1100 children have been locked in cars throughout Victoria – an increase of almost 200 on the previous year.
Of those, five were reported in Lilydale, with one each in Yarra Junction, Healesville, Badger Creek, Yarra Glen and Hoddles Creek.
The expected coming hot summer has prompted a warning from paramedics and police.
Healesville police Leading Senior Constable Chris Hickey said that there are many calls to triple zero for children or animals locked in cars, which results in ambulance, police and CFA members being called out.
“A child locked in a car is a high-priority job and it can tighten resources,” he said.
“It is extremely dangerous and foolish to leave any living thing in a car, even for two minutes.
“Apart from the excessive heat, cars can and do catch fire and get stolen.”
Ambulance Victoria group manager Brett Drummond warned that leaving children in a car could prove deadly with cases of children dying in hot cars in recent years.“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,” he said.
Mr Drummond said it does not have to be a 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 60 degrees within 20 minutes,” he said.“Leaving them in the car is just not acceptable.”
A report released by Ambulance Victoria said most incidents were reported between November 2012 and March 2013 – the hottest months of the year.
From the months of December 2012 and March 2013 an average of five calls were made to triple zero a day reporting someone locked in a car.
The figures revealed that 46 per cent of calls involving children under the age of 13 occurred between 11am and 3pm with more than two thirds of incidents taking place in a car park, public road or public place.
A further 21 per cent of instances occurred at home.
Incidents in which keys were locked in the car with the child were also common and Mr Drummond said parents need to be aware of the possibility.
“About 21 per cent of cases occurred outside a house,” he said.
“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.”
