By LAURA WAKELY
AMBULANCE Victoria has issued a serious warning to residents after recording more than 40 cases of children being locked in cars across the West.
Paramedics were called to 43 incidents across the West and a total of 393 across Victoria between September and December last year based on calls to Triple Zero.
There were five reported cases of children being locked in cars in both Altona North and Hoppers Crossing, three in Point Cook and three in Caroline Springs, Werribee and Wyndham Vale in the three month period.
Paramedic Shaun Columbine said leaving children locked in vehicles could be “deadly”.
“Babies and young children can’t regulate their body temperature like adults can, so being left in a hot car can quickly become life threatening,” Mr Columbine said.
Ambulance Victoria research has found the inside of a car can heat up to 44 degrees within ten minutes and reach 60 degrees within 20 minutes on a 29 degree day.
“That can be catastrophic and unfortunately in the past there have been cases of children dying in hot cars,” Mr Columbine said.
“Leaving them in the car even for a few minutes is not acceptable.”
He said some parents had deliberately left children inside vehicles, while others locked their keys in the car along with their child.
Last month a car was stolen with a toddler inside, who had been locked in the car by his father during a trip to the shops in St Albans.
The stolen car was recovered with the toddler safely inside, but police warned residents never to leave their children inside a vehicle.
