A wake up call for all parents

Caregivers should not need a reminder about the dangers of leaving children in hot cars

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The dangers in leaving children locked in cars even for a few minutes are real and often discussed, especially during summer. Because children have immature thermo-regulatory systems, being locked in a hot car can quickly lead to dehydration, shock, heatstroke and then death. We have reported on far too many cases of children who lost their lives as a consequence of such irresponsible behaviour.

This is why it’s so shocking – and sad – that such cases continue to occur. In Dubai alone, the police reported 42 cases of children locked in cars so far this year. Last year, there were 119 cases and the year before that it was 130. These are only the registered cases ,but there are probably many more cases across the country that go unheard of. While it is slightly gratifying that the numbers seem to be trending down, this should not happen at all.

The main issue is that many parents fail to appreciate the danger. As The National reported yesterday, there is a misconception among parents that a child left in a car parked in the shade will be safe. However, experts say that a child should not be left alone in the car at all, even when the air conditioning is left on. It's true that chances of heatstroke would be lower, but the child would not be entirely safe in such a situation. As Khawla Saleh, adviser at Child Health and Safety, said, unsupervised children may switch off the engine or do something else that can endanger their lives.

Parent must always be mindful of where their children are and ensure they are safe. This is a basic responsibility of parenthood. It means they must take their children with them when they leave the car, even to run a quick errand, and never use the car as a substitute babysitter when they are busy getting things done.

The new Child Rights Law, which takes effect next month, will hopefully help cut down the number of cases by putting more focus on neglect as a serious offence. It will also help by putting the onus on everyone – whether professionals such as teachers and doctors through to the general public – to alert the authorities. No more children should die in this totally avoidable way.