The tragic deaths of two toddlers in less than two weeks has brought attention to the dangers of leaving children unattended in cars: Children, cars and hot temperatures a deadly mix
Through my volunteer efforts with KidsandCars.org I have learned how dangerous it can be to leave children unattended in cars.
There are two facts that most people simply are not aware of that contribute to the danger.
It’s that time again! Tomorrow is the first day of school and lots of eager (or not so eager) kids will be heading back to school.
As an injury lawyer in Nova Scotia, I have dealt with countless tragic cases where children have been injured, many of them in and around schools. Here are a few tips for parents to make sure the first day back (and every other day during the school year) is a safe one.
Whichever method your children use to get to school there are a number of safety considerations to remember.
Most Canadians don’t realize that every single vehicle sold in Canada has a blind zone behind it. Depending on the make and model of the vehicle that blind zone is anywhere from 10 feet to up to 50 feet.
When asked, most people guess that the blind zone is 5 or 6 feet.
CBC news recently did a story on the issue and I thought I would post the video because it visually demonstrates the problem.
Police in Toronto are investigating a heartbreaking death as a result of a back-over accident that happened on the weekend.
A father dropped off his wife and eight-year old son outside Toronto’s Ontario Science Centre. While backing-up to leave the parking lot the father struck his wife and son. Tragically, the eight-year old boy died of his injuries. Media reports indicate the child’s mother is in serious but stable condition in the hospital.
This terrible accident is evidence of a hidden problem. One that most Canadians aren’t even aware exists.
Today is the first official day of summer, and parts of Canada are in the middle of a heat-wave. So I thought it would be appropriate to post another warning about the dangers the warm weather poses to children in cars.
Studies have shown that the temperatures inside a parked car left in direct sunlight can rise quickly to over 40 degrees Celsius (102 F) to over 70 degrees Celsius (170 F).
Heat Stroke
I saw an article recently where RCMP in Ladysmith British Columbia are reminding parents to teach their children to know when it is appropriate to call 911. The proper understanding in use of 911 is something that every parent needs to know.
However, what struck me as most important about the article is that the RCMP need some better education themselves about what constitutes a potential emergency.
The article describes an incident where a sleeping child woke up after being left alone in a car by his parent. The child was upset and used a cell phone to call 911.
Starting in January 2012 the Halifax Regional School Board will begin to comply with Provincial regulations requiring children under age nine or smaller than 4’9″ and 40 pounds to be secured in a child restraint system while riding on school buses.
According to Doug Hadley, spokesman for the Halifax Regional School Board, HRSB is going to start weighing and measuring students who may fall under the provincial regulations.
The Seat Belt and Child Restraint System Regulations have been in place in Nova Scotia since 2007 and have been implemented in most school boards around the province. However, the Halifax Regional School Board uses a private contractor, Stock Transportation to run their school buses and HRSB has been late to introduce the changes.
Baby Dragged By Car
The Ottawa Citizen reported that a 6 month old boy suffered head injuries after being dragged 12 meters by the family car when it rolled backwards down their driveway after being knocked into gear by his 3 year old sister.
The infant’s 14 year old sister was helping her mom get the family ready for a trip. The baby had been buckled into a car seat and the car seat was placed on the driveway beside the family car. The family’s 3 year old daughter was playing in the front seat of the car and managed to knock the car into gear. The car started rolling backwards and dragged the infant in his car seat for almost 12 meters. Media reports list the baby as being in stable but serious condition.
A pediatric surgeon at the IWK Health Center, Dr. Natalie Yanchar recently completed a study comparing ATV related hospitalizations in the province for three years before Nova Scotia introduced restrictions on children driving ATVs and the three years since the legislation was put into place.
According to Dr. Yanchar’s study, ATV related hospitalizations dropped 38% since the new legislation was put in place and severe ATV related injuries dropped 75%.
In 2005 Nova Scotia enacted legislation requiring mandatory safety training for children. The legislation also prohibits children under the age of 14 from riding ATVs unless they are on closed courses. 14 and 15 year olds are able to ride ATVs while under parental supervision.
Today I was interviewed as Chair of Kids and Cars Canada. The issue: The dangers of leaving children in hot cars and what can be done to prevent it. Should the conduct be criminalized or will better public education help?
You can listen to the interview and the calers comments by going to 570 News website and clicking on the link to the audio clip of the interview.
