Monday, April 4, 2016

No Child Left Behind in Hot Cars

It's really difficult to imagine anyone leaving a child behind in a locked car and then carelessly walking away from the vehicle, no matter what lame circumstances one can imagine. Some feel compelled to run an errand or take care of some other business regardless of the risk of danger. Some people out there simply forget about the child in the back seat. Sadly and unfortunately, it happens more than you would care to know. Most incidents involve someone knowingly taking a chance because they feel that "Oh I won't be that long, what can happen in such a short time?" Famous last words because sometimes a lot can happen and many times it does. Their brief visit (away from the car) frequently becomes delayed causing the risk factor to greatly increase. That extra few seconds or minutes can make all the difference between a good and bad outcome for the child in the car by themselves.

As a consequence of modern societies absent-mindedness, we have been hearing a lot of stories about people carelessly leaving children by themselves in cars when it's really hot during the summer months. A bad move like this with the windows closed, almost invariably results in fatal consequences. Common sense should send a message that this is an extremely dangerous situation when the child's life is hanging in the balance. So many other potentially dangerous situations can occur in just a short span of time. For example, some have carelessly reasoned that if they leave the child alone for just a brief time with the car running and the A/C on, everything will be okay. Sure the child will be cooler this way, but it can be just as dangerous to leave a child alone in many other ways.  If the child manages somehow to get out of their car seat or other restraint, they are then free to roam the interior space where there is now "no limit" to the predicaments an adventurous and curious child can get into. Young children have been known to release the emergency brake, put the car in gear, or even take it out of gear at a very early age, sometimes resulting in very serious and disastrous circumstances. 

So don't do it, don't take the risk. If you are so stressed that you might forget someone in the back seat, consider getting get a personal alarm that the child can wear to signal you should you forget. One good one is called the Child Guard Panda that simply goes on their wrist that will signal your keychain receiver after you are a certain distance from the child. A simple yet effective solution if you take the initiative. If not, take some time off and get away to.get some psychological help ASAP.

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