NRMA issues fresh warning to drivers locking children and pets in hot cars

NRMA has issued a fresh warning over parents or carers locking children in hot cars as temperatures continue to soar across NSW. NRMA road safety expert Dimitra Vlahomitros said the temperature inside a hot car could almost double the temperature outside and it does not take long for children or pets to be in serious danger. “Whether you’re packing the car full of groceries or packing the car for a holiday, make sure you know where your keys are and don’t leave your keys with children to play with while loading up the car,” Ms Vlahomitros warned drivers. Over the last 12 months, NRMA patrols have responded to 1846 calls where a child or a pet has been locked in a car. “It’s a reminder to everybody as temperatures rise that the car can be a very dangerous place for children and pets if they’re left there alone,” she said. In the majority of these cases, parents or carers had accidentally locked their keys along with their children in the car. Ms Vlahomitros said it was important to never leave children in the car for even a short amount of time. “We know life gets busy in the lead-up to Christmas but it’s important to be extra vigilant when getting in and out of the car with young children,” she said. This warning comes after a two-year-old girl was found dead in a Queensland car, police saying the girl was left in the car for “some hours” by family members. The car was parked in a council carpark in Innisfail, 90km from Cairns. Temperatures on the Monday reached a high of 30.4C. Leaving an unattended child locked in a car carries a fine of up to $20,000 and can quickly become dangerous. Within just five minutes of closing a car door on a 30C day, the temperature can rise to as high as 60C. Leaving the windows open slightly does little to alleviate the risk to children or pets in a car, as airflow is limited and humidity continues to rise. Young children are more sensitive to heat than older children or adults and are at greater risk of heatstroke and dehydration. Being left inside a hot car can result in heat stress, dehydration and organ failure that can all lead to death. Road service patrolman Tony Tamine said the NRMA prioritised calls about children locked in cars and took calls from members and non-members alike. “If your child is visibly distressed, call triple-0,” he said. “Emergency services can also assist and may be able to arrive on the scene sooner for urgent situations by using lights and sirens.”