RACT warns kids, pets at risk as temperatures soar

With almost 200 call-outs for car rescues in the past year the RACT has issued a stern warning about locking children or pets in cars over summer. Read the advice >>

• Tasmanian tour operator looking to recruit staff to meet demand
• Road closed after serious accident, injuries unknown in highway crash, coughing fit causes incident

WHILE lockdown has kept many of us safe this year, the RACT has warned locking children or pets in cars over summer could be deadly.

The RACT received 180 call-outs from members and non-members to rescue children and dogs in the past year, 116 of which were related to animals and 64 to children.

Leah Tierney with her son Ned Wills, 3, as the RACT warns about the danger of leaving children and dogs in cars. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

RACT Mobility Services general manager Darren Moody said the dangerous incidents caused heat stress and dehydration.

“Children can’t regulate their temperature as well as adults,” he said.

Mr Moody said it wasn’t just scorching 31 degree days like Monday’s expected top putting kids and animals’ lives at risk.

“Even on days when there isn’t extreme heat, if the sun’s out the temperature in the car can still rise very quickly,” he said.

“In as little as seven minutes a car can go from a normal temperature to 40 degrees and a short time after that they can reach as high as 70 degrees.

“Cracking a window, tinted windows, the colour of the car makes almost no difference to the inside temperature of the car.”

Two of Mr Moody’s recommendations were to keep your keys upon your person at all times to avoid accidentally locking doors, and always get children and dogs out of the car while you’re getting out, even if you plan to leave the vehicle for the shortest possible time.

If you observe a child locked in a car in warm weather call Tasmania Police on triple-0, or for animals call police on 131 444.