Signs Put Heat on 'Kids in Hot Cars'

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Kidsafe

Kidsafe Victoria today said that support from the Lions Crimewatch Committee, local government, early childhood centres, the community and the Victorian Coalition Government, has seen messages about the dangers of leaving children unattended in cars reach thousands of families every day across the State.

 


Melanie Courtney, CEO of Kidsafe Victoria, said the recent heat wave and the fact that paramedics were called to an alarming 620 cases of people locked in cars between September 2013 to January 2014, continued to put the issue on the agenda.

Following the launch of the Kidsafe Do Not Leave Children In Cars safety signs with Early Childhood Management Services (ECMS), which involves 6000 parents seeing the signs at ECMS services every day, the uptake of the signage campaign has increased across the State with the assistance of campaign partners, the Lions. 

Councils who have joined the campaign include the City of Frankston, City of Monash, Colac Otway Shire, City of Wodonga and the City of Kingston, with individual signs also being installed by early childhood centres in Fairfield, Bulleen, Leongatha, Middle Park, Glen Waverly, Rosebud and Ashburton.

Ms Courtney said the Kidsafe 'Do Not Leave Children In Cars' signs are the most cost effective way of providing a constant reminder to parents and carers of the dangers of leaving children in cars, whether that be in car parks at shopping centres, early childhood centres, café strips or local playgrounds.

Tests carried out by Ambulance Victoria reveal that even on a 29-degree day the inside of a car can reach 44 degrees within 10 minutes and hit 60 degrees within 20 minutes.

Following a number of child deaths and several years of Kidsafe campaigning, Victorian legislation now makes leaving a child unattended in a car a criminal offence.

For more information on how to sign up for the campaign and purchase signs for your local government, centre or business, please contact Kidsafe Victoria via This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Click here for the community education program.

Media Enquiries:
Ron Smith, Media Communications, Kidsafe Victoria - Mobile: 0417 329 201