With temperatures set to soar this week, Geelong motorists have been warned that leaving kids in hot cars can be fatal.
Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development Wendy Lovell said the Geelong region had 38 cases of children left in cars last year.
She said there were 1100 cases of children being locked in cars across Victoria – 200 more than the previous year.
“During the school holidays, it can be tempting for parents and carers to leave their kids in the car when making a quick stop at the shops.
“Even leaving children in the car for five minutes can lead to tragic results,” Ms Lovell said.
The temperature inside a parked car during summer can be up to 20 to 30 degrees hotter than the outside temperature.
Even leaving a window slightly open does little to cool the temperature inside the car.
“Young children’s smaller body size and their underdeveloped nervous system places them at a much greater risk of life-threatening heatstroke, dehydration and other health risks than older children or adults,” Ms Lovell said.
“The message is clear – if you are travelling with a child in a car and you need to get out of the car, even for just one minute, make sure you take the child with you.”
Victorian legislation makes leaving a child unattended in a car a criminal offence, with penalties ranging from fines of $2165 or three months in prison.
