776 animals, or two a day, had to be rescued from vehicles in 12 months, the RACQ says. Photo: stock
TWO children and two animals are rescued from locked vehicles every day, on average, across Queensland.
And motorists are reminded to never leave children or animals unattended in a vehicle as summer arrives.
The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) says it responded to 1740 lock-in emergencies across Queensland in the past 12 months alone.
RACQ General Manager Assistance and Automotive Mark Boswell said motorists must be aware of the danger with the forecast summer temperatures.
“RACQ patrols rescued 799 children and 776 animals locked in vehicles in the past 12 months alone – on average that is two kids and two animals locked in a vehicle every day,” he says.
“While many of these cases are accidental, there are things you can do to avoid the risk.
“You should never leave children or pets alone in the car, always keep your keys on you and don’t give them to your child to play with.”
He says there is one common scenario playing out every time one of their patrols responds to a lockout.
“The most common scenario our patrols see is the parent gave the child the keys to play with while they load items into the car.”
Boswell says temperatures in locked vehicles can quickly reach dangerous levels.
“In summer, cabin temperatures can exceed 40 degrees Celsius in around 30 minutes,” he says.
“That is a dangerous temperature threshold for humans and animals, which could have deadly consequences.”
Boswell says that RACQ patrols respond to vehicle lock-ins as the highest priority.
“Accidentally locking your child or pet in a car can be an extremely stressful situation and we often find people waste time trying to work out what to do or who to call,” he said.
In case of a person or animal locked in a vehicle, you can call RACQ roadside help on 13 11 11, regardless if you are a member or not.
“Our patrols can successfully unlock most cars within minutes using vehicle-specific methods,” Boswell says.
“If you’re concerned about the health of a child, call emergency services (000 or triple zero) immediately.”
The RACQ recently presented its expertise on this topic to a UN Working Group on Children Left in Vehicles to help address the issue globally.
RACQ’S TOP REGIONS AND LOCK-IN RESPONSES
(September 2023 – October 2024)
Brisbane 351
Gold Coast 220
Moreton Bay 176
Sunshine Coast 164
Logan 104
Fraser Coast, Gympie 99
Darling Downs South West 88
Far North Queensland 76
Ipswich 73
Central Queensland 68
Mackay, Isaac, Whitsunday 68
Bundaberg-Burnett 64
North Queensland 64
Redland 43
Noosa 40
