Incidents of Children Being Left In Cars Increases, Know The Dangers

On August 3rd, another death occurred as a result of an adult leaving a child in the car.

The case involved a 5 month old infant, and his 32 year old mother of NY state. He was left in the car while his mother went to work after she says she forgot to drop him off at his daycare that morning.

And, just two days prior a mother was arrested in Texas state after she left two of her children, 18 months, and 7 years old, in the car for what she claimed was no more than 30 minutes while she took a third child, 5 years old, into the store with her. The Local police suspect that after examination of the store's video surveillance, it will prove the children were in the car for much longer, as is suspected. All 3 children are now in protective custody. Temperatures outside the car were at 34° C.

In Windsor Ontario, a child, 2 years old was left in the car while his parents went into the mall to go shopping, it was 35° C outside. They are currently under investigation.

The officer at the scene said this was the second case he has dealt with in the same parking lot this month. The first being an 18 month old girl. Both children survived.

Last summer, in Calgary, a toddler strangled herself when she stuck her head out the partially-down window of her parent's SUV, and accidentally stepped on the automatic window button after the mother left her and her six-year-old brother in the running car. She was running errands.

The list goes on and on.

According to a study be GM Canada, once a previously air-conditioned cooled car, is left in 35° C outside, the inside of a car reaches degrees of 50° C in just 20 minutes. And in 40 minutes? Temperatures of 65.5 ° C! Heat stroke for a child occurs when their body temperature reaches 40° C. Gm says leaving the window slightly open, did little to cool the car.

The Fredericton RCMP says there are currently no laws against leaving a child in the car, and cases that need further investigation, go on to social services.

A local Constable stated that it depends on the circumstances involved before charges are pressed, but that there are no laws against leaving a child in a car in particular.

There is a law against leaving a child in the car with keys in the ignition however.

It is illegal to leave a child under the age of 12 home alone.

Gm Canada also reports that the amount of children being forgotten in cars has been increasing since new air bag systems became standard in all vehicles, and children began strictly being allowed in backseats.

As a parent, how do you feel about this? Would you/have you left your child unattended in the car? What were the circumstances? Do you think there is a difference between leaving a child at home alone, or in the car alone?