Do you know that in Australia, over 5,000 children are rescued after being left unattended in a car? Specifically, Ambulance Victoria responded to 1587 callouts for people being accidentally locked in cars across Victoria between 1st September 2017 and 31st August 2018. Most of these cases involve toddlers and babies. Accidentally locking your kids in the car is more common than you think.
Leaving kids unattended in a car can be deadly, even if it is for a short period of time. They can lose fluid quickly, be dehydrated and then suffer from heatstroke. Although you may have saved the number of a car locksmith in your area, if you have such a hectic schedule or a sudden change in your routine, the unthinkable can still happen. To help you prevent accidentally locking your kids in the car, here are eight useful tips that you should consider.
1. Have a Set of Spare Keys for Emergencies
With the danger of having your kids trapped inside the car, you should be prepared with another set of keys to unlock the car. And this should not be kept on the same key ring set as your main set. Car lockouts are emergencies, and finding an emergency locksmith immediately can also be a tense situation. Having a spare key is a wise decision if you want to avoid breaking your car window to gain access and then get your kid out fast.
2. Conduct Drills with the Kids to Prevent Accidentally Locking Kids in Car
Drills are conducted for a reason. Why not do the same with your kids? Practise scenarios with them, educate them about the danger of being locked in the car, and teach them what they can do when such an emergency happens. You should also teach your kids that a car is not a safe place to play. With this, your kids may become cautious, and you’re less likely to forget them in the car.
3. Keep your Keys Away from your Kids
Whether it’s at home or not, don’t leave the keys within the reach of your kids. Never let them play with your car keys. Children can easily lock themselves in the car with auto-lock buttons.
4. Monitor your Kids’ Movement
Children are playful and curious. They can make any place their own world. They love role-playing and playing hide and seek, and your car can be a perfect hiding spot for them. So whatever is occupying your mind, make sure to check on your kids, what they are doing and where they are. If it’s possible, always keep them in your sight.
5. Take your Kids with you Always
Even if it’s a quick stop to grab something, to avoid accidentally locking your kids in the car you should bring your kids with you. No matter how brief you expect that stop would be, how stressed out or distracted you are while attending to a chore or an errand, take your kids along so you won’t lock them in the car. Leaving them to play in the car will never be a good idea because accidents may happen while you’re out.
6. Make it a Habit to Check the Car Seat Every Time you Leave the Car
Having a simple routine whenever you exit your car should be a habit. The way you check whether your keys, wallets, or phones are with you when you head out of the house should be the same as when checking your kids at the back seat before you get out of the car. If it will help, you can place a dashboard so you will remember.
7. Get Rid of Distractions when Driving to Avoid Accidentally Locking your Kids in the Car
Distraction is a common cause of locking keys and even a kid inside a car. People who locked themselves out of their cars were usually distracted by their phones or talking. That’s why whether you’re unloading or unloading the car, or driving, avoid distractions. Limit talking on the phone, and check it only when you have arrived at your destination. When you multi-task and think of several things at once, you tend to forget some items, a phenomenon that’s called memory decay. This natural process of memory decay can more likely happen when you are distracted. And it can happen to anyone. This will save you from the risk of accidentally locking your kids in the car.
8. Be Careful when Changing Daily Routines
The risk of leaving your child behind the car increases when there is a change in your daily routine. It can make you distracted or stressed out. That’s why you should take note in advance or put a phone reminder if there’s an adjustment in your daily schedule. When things are out of your normal routine, it’s easy to forget that your kids are even in the car. So if you suddenly need to run an errand before dropping your kids at school, put it on your calendar. Or if they need to be with you the whole day, make a mental note that you should tag them along wherever you go.
Being a parent with a heavy schedule and multiple kids to attend to is difficult. It’s understandable that you can get distracted at times. However, when it comes to the kids and their safety in the car, parents should always be vigilant no matter how loaded at work or household chores they are. These tips should help you prevent locking your kids in the car. Prevention will always be better than dealing with it when it happens.
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