Never Leave Kids in Cars

‘Our valuables should never be left in the car’ is the key message of a new Victorian campaign urging people to never leave their children or pets in cars, especially during the hot summer months.

The campaign outlines key messages, including the knowledge that leaving children unattended in a car on any day is dangerous, let alone when it’s hot - as it could result in serious injury or death.

Within minutes, the temperature inside a parked car can be twice as hot as outside, with a typical Australian summer day often seeing temperatures increased by 20 or 30 degrees Celsius.

This means when it’s 30 degrees outside, your child could be suffering in up to 60 degree heat.

Leaving the windows down slightly in a car has little effect on the inside temperature, and large cars heat up just as fast as smaller ones.

When it comes to child health, a young child’s body temperature rises 3-5 times faster than adults, placing them at greater risk of life-threatening heatstroke, dehydration and other health risks.

Babies and young children also don’t sweat as much as adults, and can overheat and dehydrate quickly in hot weather.

Despite the widespread attention on this issue, children are still being left in cars, with Ambulance Victoria paramedics being called to 1,696 cases of children left in cars in the past year alone.

For more information on the campaign, visit education.vic.gov.au/kidsincars.