Warning reckless act a “recipe for disaster”
The roadside assistance company said it responded to 4,265 calls where a child or pet had been locked in a car in the past 12 months.
The company said that in most cases the drivers of the car accidentally locked their keys inside.
NRMA traffic safety expert Dimitra Vlahomitros said the temperature inside a hot car can almost double the temperature outside, and it doesn’t take long to kill a child or pet. company.
“Everyone got in their car after a hot day and felt the scorching heat in the car or the burning of their seat belts,” Ms Vlahomitros said.
“It’s a recipe for disaster if a child or pet is accidentally locked in.”
Ms Vlahomitros said the two most common places the NRMA was called to were homes or shopping malls.
“Whether you’re filling the car with errands or packing the car for a vacation, make sure you know where the keys are and don’t leave your keys with children to play with while the car is loading,” a- she declared.
Leaving a child unattended inside a locked car is illegal and can result in fines of up to $22,000.
Last year, NSW Police Minister David Elliott backed the idea that citizens could smash the windscreen of a stranger’s car, before police or law enforcement arrived. emergency, if the situation so requires.
The NRMA warning comes as Townsville man Aaron Hill was ordered to stand trial in the death of three-year-old Rylee Rose Black, who died after being left inside a burning car .
Mr Hill and Rylee Rose’s mother, Laura Black, have both been charged with manslaughter.
Prosecutors allege the toddler was strapped into a booster seat for about four hours in Townsville in November 2020.
Originally published as NRMA issues warning ahead of summer as more than 4,000 children and pets left in hot cars
