The South East is top of a dangerous hotlist for children and pets being locked in cars.
Over the 2017-’18 summer period, there were 564 call-outs for children locked in a hot car in Victoria, according to the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority.
It equates to about six a day.
Among the most prolific suburbs were Pakenham (10), Berwick (9), Dandenong (8) and Cranbourne (7), as well as Frankston (14).
ETSA is issuing the advice that if you leave the car, take the kids with you.
ETSA operations executive director Patrick Berry said there was no excuse for parents and carers.
A car’s inside temperature could be up to 30 degrees hotter than outside, he said.
Kidsafe Victoria general manager Jason Chambers said the practise was dangerous even for a short time.
“Most of the temperature rise inside a car occurs within the first five minutes and leaving the windows down has little effect on the temperature rise.
“A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult, which places children at greater risk of suffering from dehydration and life-threatening heatstroke.”
Mr Chambers advised parents to keep their keys on them at all times when packing and unpacking the car to reduce the risk of the keys getting locked in the car with a child inside.
To report a child or pet locked in the car, call triple zero (000) and state the location clearly to the operator.
If it’s in a car park, provide specific details of landmarks, section names, numbers and the colour of the parking bay.
