RAC Patrol Cameron Dargan said 121 kids and 64 pets have been rescued from their parent’s car so far this year, while in 2016, RAC was called on to free 584 children and 229 pets over a 12 month period.
“That equates to about 11 children or four pets each week, including on some of Perth’s hottest summer days,” he said.
“The majority of lock-ins occur when the child is given the car keys to play with or the keys are left within the child’s reach. With pets, it is usually when they step on the lock.
“Most of the time it is outside a shopping centre, a childcare centre or even in the driveway at home.”
The number of children and pets rescued in 2016 is up from the 2015 total of 565.
Director of the Telethon Kids Institute and paediatrician, Professor Jonathan Carapetis, said even in autumn, guardians need to be aware that the cabin temperature of a vehicle could reach unsafe levels relatively quickly.
“Tests by RACQ have shown the internal temperature of a vehicle can rise from air conditioned to ambient temperatures in as little as two minutes, and on a 32 degree day the cabin temperature can rise from ambient to 40 degrees in as little as seven minutes,” Professor Carapetis said.
“Forty degrees is not safe for young children or pets because infants and dogs are not able to regulate their body heat the way adults can.”
Mr Dargan said call outs for lock ins are prioritised for the Patrol who can reach the site soonest, but the best advice for parents is to always keep the car keys on them.
“Finding your child is locked inside the car is often really distressing for our members and it can also be dangerous,” Mr Dargan said.
“The temperature inside the car can rise rapidly in an incredibly short period of time, even in cooler weather.
“We treat lock-ins seriously and give them the highest priority, but it’s important to remember that Patrols don’t have emergency sirens or flashing lights – we can still get caught in traffic and have to obey the road rules – so if a child is distressed or in harm’s way the first call should always be to emergency services.”
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