What to Do If Your Kids Are Accidentally Locked in Your Car
Posted on: 27 February 2017
As a parent, you will know that accidents happen. Despite your very best efforts to keep your kids safe, there will still be bumped heads and scraped knees. It's all part of being a kid. When your child injures themselves or is in harm's way, you will want to be by their side as soon as possible. Sometimes an incident might prevent you from being right by their side in the literal sense. Have you ever thought about what you would need to do if your child was ever locked in the car (other than look for a spare pair of keys)? It's a (mercifully) unlikely scenario, but you should know the best course of action if it was ever to happen. So what exactly should you do to prevent this incident from being a dangerous situation?
Rising Heat
It can quickly become astoundingly hot inside a parked car. As a general rules of thumb, take whatever the current temperature is and add another 30° to 40°C. This is why your best course of action when it comes to removing a child from a car that has accidentally been locked will depend on where the vehicle is located.
Roadside Assistance
Has the incident occurred at night, or on a cloudy day with no direct sunlight to contribute to the vehicle's internal temperature? Naturally, time is of the essence, but in these circumstances you have a little extra time to work with for the safest possible outcome. Call the most prominent motoring club in your state or territory. They can generally send an authorised person to help as part of their roadside assistance service. You don't necessarily need to be a member either, although you should stress the urgency of the situation. But what about if they're unable to arrive within a timely fashion?
Local Help
Call a 24-hour locksmith like http://www.rivercitylocksmiths.com.au who specialises in emergency calls. If the locksmith in question is located in your suburb, they should be able to arrive on the scene very quickly indeed. This might be faster than a motoring club as well. But there might be instances when no matter how quickly assistance might arrive, it cannot be quick enough.
Decisive Action
If it's a hot and sunny day and you child is distressed, leading you to believe that their health and well-being is in jeopardy, you need to take decisive action. Call emergency services, and request police assistance. The police can safely break your window to retrieve your child. They can also arrange for an ambulance if necessary. If you have to break the window yourself, please break the window that is furthest from where your child is located in the vehicle. Also ensure that you take the necessary safety precautions to avoid cutting yourself.
Hopefully your child will never be locked inside a vehicle, but it's good to know what to do if this should ever happen.
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