Leaving kids in the car....

Minxy_Bella

When my kids were little, there was a story on the news about two toddlers who'd been left in the car by their parent and the car had caught fire. Both died.

That meant that I always dragged them with me into the petrol station to pay because I'd been made aware of the risk by this tragic case and therefore I felt as if I had to take notice of it because if I didn't, and something terrible happened to my kids, then it would be my fault! Mother's logic, huh?

PS It was the same when I heard that a 12 year old boy had been strangled by his dressing gown cord during sleep - my kids were never allowed to wear their's in bed!

Spendless

Isn't anything a quick risk assessment with kids.

Is it throwing it down/snowing and it would be preferable to leave them in the car?
Is the garage forecourt full of cars that might move off if I take kids?
Can I see the car from the kiosk?
How long is the queue, can I leave the kids that long if I go by myself?
Are my kids little angels who will sit nicely in their car seats till I get back?
Are my kids the sort that behave like I feed them on a diet of coke and blue smarties and are likely to have legged it/knocked the handbrake off by the time I get back?

and so on.....

thorsoak

You know that you have to put petrol in the car : it goes with running a car! You do not have to have children in the car when you fill it up - and although it may go against most MSE rules about making car journeys count, personally, I think it best if a special errand is made to fill the car with petrol : herding two or three children across a petrol station forecourt - and then having to contend with the mega-sweets/choccies on display means that this is a hazardous trip and should be partaken by driver only !

tiamai_d

What is it that may happen to them left in the car? I've always wondered this.

space_rider

I would take mine when they were too young to get out of car by themselves in fire. After that they were always strapped in car seat. Youngest is nearly 10 and still in car seat as she is small and thin but she can undo it and get out if necessary. I also have a thingymajic that smashes the glass and cuts seat belts. Was paranoid after watching something where kids got trapped in seats when car submerged in water and parent in front couldn`t free the car seat harness.

Spendless

tiamai_d wrote: »

What is it that may happen to them left in the car? I've always wondered this.

well the car might catch on fire (apparantly this happens occassionally but must be rare I've never heard of anyone it's happened to), someone might pinch them out of the car whilst your back is turned (again never heard of it but can't say there's never been a case) the kids might get out and wander off (no experience of this one either), they might let the handbrake down and your car suddenly rolls into something (this I have heard of) they might start screaming the place down unhappy at being left (would guess that would depend on child's age and temperament), they might squabble, fight with their siblings and you'll be sorting out WW3 when you get back. Sure there's others but it's all I could think of at the min.

tiamai_d

Spendless wrote: »

well the car might catch on fire (apparantly this happens occassionally but must be rare I've never heard of anyone it's happened to), It could catch fire when you are in it too someone might pinch them out of the car whilst your back is turned (again never heard of it but can't say there's never been a case) lock it and take the keys the kids might get out and wander off (no experience of this one either), mine would run off if I took them through the forecoart they might let the handbrake down and your car suddenly rolls into something (this I have heard of) most forcoarts are level or leave it in gear they might start screaming the place down unhappy at being left (would guess that would depend on child's age and temperament), they do that when I'm there anyway they might squabble, fight with their siblings and you'll be sorting out WW3 when you get back Yeah, they do that too when I'm there!. Sure there's others but it's all I could think of at the min.

I think for me the only one that would concern me is them becoming upset.

The car going on fire... sounds too urban myth to me. Surely the risk of the fuel tanks below the garage suddenly combusting and blowing everything to hell is just as high as the car suddenly going up in flames?

money_maker_3

Am I strange ?? It would never occur to me that my car might suddenly burst into flames !!
If it is just petrol then Yes the kids are left in the car. If its the shop for something quick then the 7 year old would be left but if the baby was there he would come in !! Anything longer than a few minutes would have both of them in with me.

And we have NO pay at he pump stations round here, so that is never an option !!

bestpud

money_maker wrote: »

Am I strange ?? It would never occur to me that my car might suddenly burst into flames !!
If it is just petrol then Yes the kids are left in the car. If its the shop for something quick then the 7 year old would be left but if the baby was there he would come in !! Anything longer than a few minutes would have both of them in with me.

And we have NO pay at he pump stations round here, so that is never an option !!

Lol, no, it's me who is strange! It's one of my odd fears - I don't actually have many when it comes to my children but that's one I do have at petrol stations.

I don't worry anywhere else btw!

My biggest fear anywhere else would be them accidentally knocking off the handbrake (although I do always leave the car in gear) and, for my youngest, her getting upset if she can't see me. She does worry about things like that - some children do and some don't.

I've never worried about mine getting out, as they have never shown any inclination to do that, but with the older two, I know they'd have fought!

I worry about someone getting into the car, but not to pinch them or the car as such - rather I worry someone will try and see if there is anything valuable in there.

For the same reason, I always lock the car at petrol stations/shops/anywhere I leave it - whether my child is with me/in the car/at home. I do think there is a risk of an empty and unlocked car being taken from a petrol station.

It's just something I do and something every sensible motorist should do!

I presume people realise they'd have no insurance pay out if they leave their car unlocked and it was taken, or something was stolen from it...?

In terms of keeping them in my sight (or close enough for me to quickly check at least), I wouldn't leave a young child stood alone on the street, or strapped in a high chair in a cafe, or strapped in a shopping trolley in Tesco, while I wandered off to do my shop, so I can't see how they are that much safer in a car tbh!

The idea of monitoring young children is they are unpredictable so why do people feel their toddler would be safer sat in a car alone than sat in a cafe alone, for example?

bestpud

Spendless wrote: »

well the car might catch on fire (apparantly this happens occassionally but must be rare I've never heard of anyone it's happened to), someone might pinch them out of the car whilst your back is turned (again never heard of it but can't say there's never been a case) the kids might get out and wander off (no experience of this one either), they might let the handbrake down and your car suddenly rolls into something (this I have heard of) they might start screaming the place down unhappy at being left (would guess that would depend on child's age and temperament), they might squabble, fight with their siblings and you'll be sorting out WW3 when you get back. Sure there's others but it's all I could think of at the min.

Report from RoSPA in 2008:

http://www.rospa.com/RoadSafety/advice/incarsafety/info/children_in_cars.pdf

The whole report is interesting, imo, but two points jumped out at me:

Since 2000, RoSPA has collected press reports of 13 fatal accidents in which a child was killed while in and around a car, but not in a car crash. Five of these deaths occurred when children were left unattended in vehicles – two deaths were due to an electric window, and two deaths were due to children playing with matches left in the vehicle.

There have also been several cases of a car being stolen while, unknown to the thief, a child was still inside.

I suppose it's up to us, as parents, to assess the level of risk to our child as every circumstance is different and every child/location etc is different...