RACQ reveals shocking QLD car lock-in stats: Kids and animals locked in cars daily

Qld parents are being warned to stay extra vigilant ahead of a hot summer.

Tributes are seen at a house on Logan Reserve Road, Waterford West, where a mother left her two young daughters in a hot car for more than nine hours in sweltering heat in 2019. Picture: AAP Image/Glenn Hunt

RACQ StoryTwo children are being rescued from locked cars every day across Queensland, new data has revealed.

RACQ responders have attended to 1740 lock-in emergencies for children and animals across Queensland from September 2023 to October 2024 — averaging about two children and two animals reported locked inside cars daily.

The top regions for RACQ emergency lock-in responses from the past year were Brisbane with 351, Gold Coast with 220, Moreton Bay with 176, Sunshine Coast with 164 and Logan with 104.

General Manager Assistance and Automotive Mark Boswell said motorists must be aware of the danger with above average temperatures predicted for the summer.

“RACQ patrols rescued 799 children and 776 animals locked in vehicles in the past 12 months alone – on average that is two kids and two animals locked in a vehicle every day,”

Mr Boswell said.

“While many of these cases are accidental, there are things you can do to avoid the risk.

“You should never leave children or pets alone in the car, always keep your keys on you

and don’t give them to your child to play with.

“The most common scenario our patrols see is the parent has given the child the keys to play with while they load items into the car.”

Mr Boswell said temperatures in locked vehicles can reach dangerous levels very quickly.

“In summer, cabin temperatures can exceed 40C in around 30 minutes,” he said.

“That is a dangerous temperature threshold for humans and animals, which could have deadly consequences.”

Two children are being locked in cars every day in Queensland.

The warning comes after a two-year-old girl was found dead in a hot car at the Cassowary Coast Regional Council Chambers in Innisfail on Monday, November 25.

The girl was found unresponsive inside the car located in the carpark out the back before she was rushed to Innisfail Hospital.

Police are now investigating how the two-year-old girl tragically died. No charges have been laid at this stage.

Mr Boswell said RACQ patrols respond to vehicle lock-ins as the highest priority.

“Accidentally locking your child or pet in a car can be an extremely stressful situation and we often find people waste time trying to work out what to do or who to call,” he said.

“Our patrols can successfully unlock most cars within minutes using vehicle-specific

methods.

“We provide this service to Queenslanders, regardless of whether you’re a member.

“If you’re concerned about the health of a child, call emergency services immediately.”

Originally published as RACQ reveals shocking QLD car lock-in stats: Kids and animals locked in cars daily