Child safety in vehicles during the summer heat
To keep children safe in a vehicle, MotorHappy shares tips to ensure that you do not forget the kids on the backseat of your car.

Never leave a child in an unattended car, especially in the hot summer. Children’s bodies heat up three to five times quicker than adults, and cars generally heat up quickly.
Another concern for kids left alone in cars is our high rate of vehicle crime.
If it’s 24°C outside and your car is parked in the sun, the interior temperature can rise by at least 10°C in just 10 minutes and could reach 50°C in just 30 minutes.
At least one or two incidents of parents forgetting their kids in the car happen yearly, often with devastating results. Any parent could experience this because of various factors, such as a schedule change, lack of sleep, time constraints, or stress.
Below are tips to help you remember that your child is in the back seat:
• Place a necessity on the rear seat. Examples include your handbag, cellphone, employment ID, or even a pair of your shoes.
• Arrange a reminder on your smartphone.
• Keep a stuffed animal in your child’s car seat. When the child gets into the car seat, put the stuffed animal on the front seat as a visual reminder that your child is in the back.
• Even if your child is not in the car, make it a habit to check the back seat before locking.
• Ask the daycare centre or babysitter to notify you immediately if your child does not arrive as scheduled.
• If your child is old enough, teach them how to use the hooter. This way they can call for help if accidentally locked in the car.
If you regularly travel with your child in the car on a hot day, the tips below are useful:
• When you can, park in the shade to keep your car cool.
• Tinted windows help to keep a car cool.
• If you don’t have air conditioning, get a portable air conditioner for the back seat.
• Take water bottles with you to keep yourself and the kids hydrated.
• Purchase cooling seat and buckle covers.
• If you don’t have buckle covers, cover the seatbelt buckles and those on the car seats with a blanket or towel to prevent burning when your child gets into the car.
• Do what you can to assist if you see a child alone in a locked vehicle. A few minutes could be the difference between life and death for the child.
• Notify the centre management or security personnel if the child is alert but unable to open a door or a window.
Try to find someone who can help locate the parents while you stay with the child.
If the child is unresponsive:
• Make an emergency call right away (112 or 10117).
• If necessary, break a window to get the child out. Break the window farthest away from the child because there will be a lot of broken glass.
• Sprinkle cool water on the child.
• Stay with the child until aid arrives.
Information from MotorHappy