[Melly_trish]

We are well and truly into our hot season, so thought it was a good idea to have a reminder and discussion about precautions to take to reduce the risk of locking or leaving children in a car.
When my oldest was a new born I remember thinking 'how on earth could someone be so stupid/neglectful etc. to leave a child in a locked car'. That was until I read this article: WARNING VERY SENSITIVE MENTIONS DEATH
Children left in cars
Now when travelling with my 2 (who tend to fall asleep within 10 minutes in the car), I take or have taken some of the following precautions:

- place a toy or children's bag on the passenger side whenever I travel with the children

- have nursery rhymes playing whenever I travel with the boys

My other issue is that my car will automatically lock if the drivers side door is not opened within a certain time period, so I make sure I leave the keys on the car roof when I am strapping the boys into their seats.

I also have RAC no. in my phone, even if you are not a member, if you lock the car with a child in it, the call out is a priority 1. Just to add, this is not a debate about leaving children in cars to get fuel/money out or whatever, more about the real risk about forgetting children, or accidentally locking children in cars.eta: extra warning re content of article

This post has been edited by Melly_trish: 12/12/2012, 12:49 AM

[FlamingoG]

That was the most horrific thing I have ever read. The bag on the seat is a brilliant idea - thanks for bringing it up, though I can't get any of that article out of my head.

[~Rach~]

I've read that article before. It has always stayed with me.

Leaving the child's bag on the passenger seat is a very good idea.

[baddmammajamma]

I, too, have read that story before, and it is haunting. Your idea about keeping the child's bag or some other item to "always remind you" is a good one.

The other thing I do in hot weather is ALWAYS keep my antenna up for children or pets trapped in cars when I am out and about. Rather than speedwalk to the entry of a shop or the mall, I try to take an extra moment to look at every vehicle I walk past. I've taught my kids (5 & 7) to do the same as we walk together.

Thank you, OP, for this important reminder!

[bakesgirls]

I was near in tears reading that article, but I was actually in tears after I read about the worst case that involved the child pulling all her hair out.

It can happen to absolutely anyone. It almost happened to me.

When DD1 was around 11 months old, I was supposed to drop her at daycare. I very rarely dropped her at daycare as DH would always do it as he drove past there to get to work, it was out of the way for me. I was distracted by so many things that day, including a new job I had applied for and was expecting a call to tell me if my application had been successful. I was stressing about money, bills, work, the fact I was running late and my mind just wandered off.

I put DD in her seat, got in to the car myself and just drove to work. I had forgotten she was in the back as she was so quiet. I arrived at work and parked my car. Thank God I had put some things on the floor in the back of the car, I hadn't planned on taking these things to work initially. When I opened the rear door, I saw her there, fast alseep in her seat. If I hadn't needed to get those things out, I would have just locked my car and not returned until the end of the day.

I really can happen to you even if you think it never would. That's what I used to think- 'that kind of thing will never happen to me'. It didn't happen because I didn't love her enough. It happened because my mind was overtaken by a million other things and I was also doing something that I very rarely did, so wasn't in my 'routine'.

Since then I have always put my handbag in the back (so I have to turn around and get it) or the baby bag on the front passenger seat or front passenger floor.

Thank you OP, for posting the link. It's a great reminder that these horrible things do happen and we need to take steps to try to prevent it.

[Nora.]

This winter we returned from my son's soccer match. We all came in the house, grandad included. After about 15 minutes I asked my daughter if she'd seen our son, she said she hadn't. So I asked her to see if he was outside. She came back & said she couldn't see him. We checked the house (sometimes we'll call him and he ignores us), couldn't find him. I then went out to look myself. I still wasn't hugely concerned as the kids have a habit of getting out of the car and running around next door. The only thing that did register on my radar a bit was that the boy next door usually plays footy on a Saturday.

Anyway, went out to find my son hysterically crying and locked in his dad's car. We'd all got out, my husband just locked the car as you do, and we all went inside. My son can be a bit slow to get out of the car (drives me insane). Thankfully it happened in winter, and the car hadn't got hot. If it happened on a summers day I have no doubt he could have died. I hate that modern cars are so much harder to get out of and car horns don't work unless the key is in the ignition.

[BadCat]

A baby girl died after being left in a car in Bendigo just yesterday. It's absolutely heartbreaking.

Thank you for the timely reminder OP. Great idea to put a reminder on the passenger seat. Anything that will jog your memory is a good idea.


This post has been edited by BadCat: 12/12/2012, 05:54 AM

[Bacongirl]

Placing handbag in the floorwell directly behind the driver's seat is a good thing to practise. Not only does it deter the odd 'snatch 'n grab' that can happen in traffic, but you have to actually either turn around, or get out of the car to get the bag.

Not sure just a toy woud trigger my memory. My car always looks like a travelling toybox.

[lovealpacas]

I nearly left DD1 in the car when she was about 2 months old. If it hasn't have been for my friend with me, I would have forgotten her. I was sleep deprived. Now I always put my nappy bag behind the passenger seat. It's so big that I have to take it out via the rear passenger door, the seat where DD2 sits.

My dad works for RACQ in Brisbane and gets called out to kids locked in cars. He told me to always hold on to my keys, never throw them in to the car, when I am putting the girls in, as sometimes with the way keys land they press the door locking button, and then when you close the last door they're all locked. He said he's seen it on many occasions.

This post has been edited by lovealpacas: 12/12/2012, 09:21 AM

[Justaduck]

We were moving house 2 months ago. I was following DP in my car with DD in it. He had the fridge on the back of his ute, and it slid and fell as he turned a corner. I got out of my car, thinking I would just be a second helping him pick it up. I ended up being 10mins and in the stress of it all completely forgot DD was asleep in the car. I ALWAYS wind the windows down if I am out of the car for half a second (ie to drop something at the mailbox I have parked next to).
10 mins later (before we were finished) I remembered she was in the car. She was pale, soaking wet from sweat and had a very weak cry. It was a Sat arvo and no Drs were open so I just wound down the windows (black car too so didn't help), blasted the ac and drove to the hospital. She had the biggest feed she's ever had in the waiting room and they saw us quickly. Luckily she was all good and only a little dehyrated and we were sent on her way. It just showed me how easy it is to leave them behind, and how short a time it takes for things to go bad.

Personally...if I locked her in the car and emergency services were more than a few mins away I would just smash the front window with whatever I could find. I would rather have a big bill for a broken window and cut my arm than leave her there any longer