Children and Hot Weather - The Must Knows

Children and hot weather

As summer begins, we will start to hear stories of children being left in hot cars. The consequences can be horrific. So, we need to do all we can to ensure that we never leave children or pets in hot cars. It's against the law and can be dangerous, even fatal, with potential jail time of up to six months.

The Better Health Channel has some crucial information that families and educators should know.
Important points to remember -
1. Never leave children alone in a car. It doesn’t matter how long you are going to be away, just don’t do it.
2. Remember, children get hotter much more quickly than adults.
3. Research shows that, in summer, leaving the window open on a hot day does very little to drop the temperature in a car.
4. Forgetting a child in a car through “fatal distraction” can happen to anyone. Make sure you have routines to check in the back seat every time you drive the car.
5. Prior to placing a child in a car seat, check the car seat temperature so children are not burnt by hot metal and plastic.
6. If you have a capsule that fits into a pram, remember it is not designed as a sleeping device and that there is very little air circulation. It is even worse when you put any cloth over the top. Temperatures in a pram, on a hot day, can rise very quickly if even a light cloth is put over it.
6. Make sure your child is hydrated. Bring along water bottles as a matter of routine.
7. Plan your trips. Try to avoid travelling at the hottest times of the day. If possible, fill your car with petrol when you don’t have children with you.
8. Make sure that anyone responsible for caring for your child understands the risks of leaving children in hot cars.
9. If you see a child left in a hot car call emergency services immediately.

On a hot day or any other day, never leave your baby or child in a car – even with the air conditioning on. Leaving a baby or child in the car, even for a short time, puts them at high risk of heatstroke, dehydration, or death, particularly in summer. It is also against the law to leave a child unattended in a motor vehicle, even for a short period.

Partnership between Early Learning Association Australia (ELAA) and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), has delivered a number of parent resources in their Starting Out Safely program to support families with their road safety education.

Further information found here: childroadsafety.org.au

You'll find Starting Out Safely at our PBC BABY Melbourne Expo this February.