2023-08-05 14:00:00
Exhausting days at work, shopping for dinner, lack of time… the reasons given that lead some parents to leave their child in their parked car while they run errands are numerous. If at first sight, this act may seem inconsequential, in fact it is very risky and dangerous for the life of the child.
What is the risk of a child left in a car?
We don’t blame adults forced to leave their little ones in the car for a few minutes to pick up a package or run a quick errand. But although baby is well installed in his car seat in the car, unfortunately, in a few minutes everything can change. Here are the things that could happen to him…
Dehydration: The interior of a car heats up very quickly, even when the windows are open, especially in the summer. In just 10 minutes, baby can find themselves in a furnace with a temperature of over 25°C. The main risk in this? Toddler dehydration. Indeed, its heat regulation system is not yet mature, therefore, he will get thirsty very quickly and will not tolerate the heat like an adult. However, if no one is nearby to give him water regularly and keep him well ventilated, he is at risk of dehydration (moderate or severe).
Hyperthermia: In addition to dehydration, high temperatures can also cause potentially fatal heatstroke in babies. Due to the high temperature in the car and the still immature baby’s regulatory system, the infant’s body will quickly heat up and risk suffering from hyperthermia.
Hypothermia: Just as for the phenomenon of hyperthermia in summer, in winter, baby can be confronted with hypothermia. By car, the temperature drops as fast as it rises in summer and the baby’s body also cools. Exposed to cold for a long time, its extremities can freeze and it will be unable to regulate its temperature to keep warm.
Choking: Like any child, your baby may try to touch the electric window or seat controls or put any other object in his mouth into his mouth. But what if he swallows it and no adult is present to intervene? The baby is choking! To avoid this situation, never leave your child unattended in the car or take them with you wherever you go.
Removal: Alone in the automobilebaby is never safe from abduction. Careless people can smash the windshield and kidnap your little one. To protect him from this drama, never leave him unattended (wherever he is)!
Accidents caused by the child or by other motorists: If the child is older, he can manage to manipulate the gear lever or the controls of the vehicle, this can lead to an accident, endangering his life and those of others . Alone in the automobile, the infant is also not protected from a collision by another driver. The shock of the accident can have consequences for the toddler. But how to help him, if no adult is around? Here’s another reason not to leave your little treasure in the car without your company!
Psychological trauma: Yes, yes, leaving a child alone can be traumatic for him. If he’s thirsty, in pain, or just needs an adult, what can he do? Being left alone in a car can cause emotional stress and psychological trauma in the child, because he will feel abandoned and in danger.
Why do parents forget their children in the car?
While some adults voluntarily choose to leave their child alone in the vehicle for various reasons, others, inadvertently, forget that they are carrying it with them. And this oversight has a name: the forgotten baby syndrome. According to the researchers, this phenomenon is the result of a competition between the memory of the habit, which refers to all the repetitive and mechanical actions that we carry out on a daily basissuch as journeys to work and prospective memory, which itself involves new future tasks such as dropping baby off at nursery. Thus, in times of stress or fatigue, habit memory outweighs prospective memory. Result ? The driver forgot the child in the car.
What does the law say about children left behind in the car?
Is leaving your child alone in the car regulated by French law? Does the adult responsible for the child incur penalties? No. In France and in Europe, there is no legal provision governing the forgetting of an infant in a vehicle. On the other hand, as in other countries, there are qualifications in French law which make it possible to sanction such an act as soon as it harms the child. Furthermore, article R. 412-2-II of the Highway Code specifies that : “Any child under the age of ten must be held in their seat by an approved child restraint system adapted to their morphology and weight. This system is not compulsory if the child has a morphology allowing him to wear the seat belt. It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that children are transported correctly. “. Otherwise, the driver incurs a fine of €135.
Read also:
Up to what age should a child have a car seat? A mum-to-be explains why she plans to leave her baby alone in the car to run errands
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