Never Leave Kids in Cars campaign launched after shock rate of paramedic call-outs
Alarming figures reveal which Victorian suburbs had the most call-outs for people locked in cars as authorities warn of the deadly consequences.
Victoria
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Paramedics have responded to four cases of people - including three children - stuck in hot cars on Tuesday, as the mercury rose to the high 30s across the state.
An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said in all four cases, the person inside was removed quickly and was okay.
It comes just hours after the government launched a campaign to urge Victorians not to leave children in cars, warning they sadly expected to see more cases this summer.
Last summer, children aged under 13 made up a whopping 92.5 per cent of all 410 call-outs between December last year and February this year.
More than 1200 calls to retrieve people from locked cars were lodged with paramedics from December 1 last year to November 30 this year.
Of those, 410 occurred during the summer months with calls peaking in December with 165 requests for help.
It dropped to 75 cases in June this year, but numbers are firmly rising again as the temperature soars.
In November this year alone, paramedics were called out to 113 cases of locked cars.
Pakenham was the busiest suburb for call-outs with 24 cases, followed by Epping (22), Frankston (22), Craigieburn (21), Hoppers Crossing (20), Narre Warren (19), Point Cook (19), Cranbourne (18) and Werribee (18).
Ambulance Services Minister Gabrielle Williams on Tuesday launched the Never Leave Kids in Cars campaign in a bid to warn parents of the risks of leaving their children in cars.
“It’s simple – never leave your kids alone in a car,” Ms Williams said.
“The consequences can be deadly.”
The temperature inside a vehicle can double in minutes, and even on a mild day, the temperature inside a parked car can be 20 to 30 degrees hotter than the temperature outside.
Kids are at most risk, with a child’s body temperature rising three to five times faster than an adult.
Elderly people and those with a medical condition are also at significant risk.
Heat can cause illnesses such as heat cramps and exhaustion or lead to heatstroke which is fatal in up to 80 per cent of cases.
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