It’s a public safety message that is repeated every summer – and Wyndham council is again calling on parents and carers to never leave children alone in cars.
Wyndham council has joined forces with Kidsafe Victoria to raise awareness of the dangers of leaving children unattended in cars – even if it’s only for a few minutes.
The council has added Kidsafe Do Not Leave Children in Cars signage across all 24 kindergartens in the city, ensuring parents and carers doing kinder pick-ups and drop-offs see the message at least twice a day.
It will also plug its safety message via social media. Geelong, Moonee Valley and Casey councils run similar campaigns.
Kidsafe Victoria general manager Jason Chambers said temperatures inside parked cars could be up to 30 degrees hotter than outside temperatures, exceeding 50 degrees Celsius in a matter of minutes on a typical summer’s day.
“Babies and small children are particularly at risk because they can lose fluid quickly, become dehydrated and suffer from heatstroke, which can be life-threatening,” Mr Chambers said.
Between September 1, 2015 to August 31 last year, Ambulance Victoria paramedics were called to 1623 cases of children locked in cars – 190 more than the year before. In Victoria, it is illegal to leave a child unattended in a car.
