Never use car as babysitter

Burlington Post

It should go without saying: don’t leave kids in hot cars.

Yet, every summer, child welfare advocates remind people of the potentially fatal dangers associated with such carelessness.

Already this year, a number of children across the province were left alone in vehicles in scorching temperatures.

Most recently on July 20, police were called to a Costco store in Markham, where police say a couple left their baby in a locked vehicle. Officers were forced to break the windows to rescue the child, who was returned to the couple after the pair exited the store. The parents, according to published reports, were charged with leaving a child unattended — an offence under the Child and Family Services Act.

We wonder: who, in their right mind, would leave a child unattended in a vehicle — let alone a car with the windows up in mid-July?

When you consider the facts, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize the dangers of leaving children in cars. But you can’t teach common sense, so here are the facts:

• The temperature inside a parked car can exceed 50 degrees Celsius within 10 to 20 minutes on a typical Canadian summer day

• Opening the windows slightly does not reduce the temperature

• Heatstroke occurs at 40.5 degrees Celsius

• Young children, especially infants, are up to five times more sensitive to heat than adults

• Rising temperatures inside a car can cause a child to suffer from heat stress, dehydration, shock and, in extreme cases, death.

“If you have to leave your car, even to run a quick errand, take your children with you,” urged the Children’s Aid Society of Halton. “Never use a car as your substitute babysitter.”

The local branch of the Children’s Aid Society recommends parents and caregivers make a habit of looking in their vehicle — front and back — before exiting their car. They should also ensure that the doors to the vehicle are locked and keys kept out of children’s reach. Parents and caregivers should be especially careful if they change their routine or have someone else drive their child.

“Follow up to ensure they arrived at their destination,” suggests the Society.

Members of the public should take immediate action if they see a child alone in a vehicle. Your first step? Call 9-1-1. Residents should provide the dispatch operator with their location, the vehicle’s licence plate information and the approximate age and condition of the child. The caller should remain on scene until police or emergency services arrive. If the vehicle is unlocked, open the doors and shield the windows with a blanket or safely remove the child from the vehicle.