7 Tips to Avoid Child Being Locked in the Car - Stay Safe!
The worst nightmare to a parent is locking your child inside the car. Toddlers are prone to such circumstances since not many of them understand the basics of unlocking themselves. This exposes them to a lot of dangers to the extents of suffocation to death if not handled with urgency.
Consequences of Locking Your Child in the Car
In the USA alone, over 600 children have died of accidental car locking since 1990. Some of the dangers of leaving your child in the car include:
- Heat stroke - This is the biggest hazard of locking your child in the car. It is a heat stroke that damages the brain and other organs and results to death. A child`s temperature rises very fast in unventilated conditions. In less than an hour, the temperature soars to 90 degrees F and cases of deaths are reported at temperatures as low as 70 degrees F.
- Attempting to drive - A child finds pleasure in driving a car, and when left by themselves inside, they can try to drive. Unprofessional driving results to accidents and potentially death or complex body damages.
Tips for Avoiding Child Locking
Due to the stress that comes when you lock your child up, we have listed some safety precautions that will help minimize accidental child locking.
- Ensure you have your kid around every time- Sometimes, you may want to rush to a supermarket or shop and leave your child inside the vehicle. Children are mischievous and want to know how everything in the car functions and ends up locking themselves. It is hence important for parents to carry them along everywhere regardless of how brief you are outside the car.
- Don’t leave car keys at their reach- These days, cars are susceptible to auto lock, and even a three-year-old can rotate the key and get locked up. Even at home, the auto lock makes it easy for the kid to lock themselves up. You are hence advised to carry your keys around every time you are outside for easy unlocking in case the kid accidentally locks themselves. Spare keys are also very important. In case you don’t have one, seek the best locksmith agencies in your neighborhood and secure one. Don’t make a mistake of putting the spare key together with the primary keys.
- Communicate with the kid’s nun while you are away- While you are away, the kid's caregiver is in charge. Ensure you give them clear instructions to keep an eye on your kids` move all day. Kids can find pleasure playing inside the car, and due to the scorching sun, the car lacks proper air circulation and leads to suffocation. You are hence required to give nuns instructions that in case the kid locks themselves up; they need to call you urgently to seek quick locksmith services.
- Inspect your car keenly - Anytime you are leaving the car, make sure you peep through the window to ascertain you have left nothing behind. If your kid is locked up inside, they end up being helpless, and the stress combined with the harsh environments can be very hazardous. The same is essential even when you are at home because it is very easy for the kids to hide inside to play.
- Have contacts ready - Accident can occur at any instance, at any place. You are hence required to have contacts of required services like locksmiths and health experts in case you are ambushed by accident. Seek professionals who have a good reputation to ensure instant and accurate service delivery. You can randomly go online even when you are not faced with such the accident and check reviews of the best experts who have handled the situation in your locality. Keep the contacts for future reference.
- Keep calm and learn some locksmith basics - According to psychologists, tension worsens every most situation. If you discover that the kid has locked themselves up, keep calm and reason to make right decisions regarding the case. If you take a hasty choice, you can worsen the situation even for the professional you call on board. Just like the first aid lessons, locksmiths’ basics are also vital when the case is not very technical. You can visit a locksmith firm and inquire about the tools you need to handle child locking situation and purchase them. Good first aid tips are also important to help reduce the danger, before visiting a doctor.
- Use a reminder- Sometimes we may be in a hurry and forget the child`s existence. You can adopt simple psychology of placing reminders near the kid. You can put your cell phone, bag in the back seat with the baby. These are things you have to get before leaving the car and that way you cannot forget. You can also set reminders on your phone and stay notified that you have a baby around.
The above are proven facts on how to curb child locking. Knowing how hazardous the situation can be, you should always ensure that you accurately follow the tips. If you are passing by and you see a child locked up in a car, immediately report to the authorities or call the helpline number 911 for an emergency car lockout service.