Ajman/Umm Al Quwain/Ras Al Khaimah: When parents leave their children in a parked car, there’s just one excuse — negligence.
And Brigadier Saleh Al Matrooshi, the director general of Ajman Civil Defence told Gulf News on Saturday: “Unattended children suffocating inside a car is clear evidence of family negligence and poor judgment of the potential dangers involved.”
“Because there is lack of ventilation in a closed car, the temperature inside and the temperature of the child can rise very sharply, especially if they are exposed to direct sunlight,” he added.
“Never leave children alone and always count numbers in your party as you leave your car,” he said. “Make sure you have everyone before you lock it.”
The warning comes after the tragic death of a three-year-old Yemini boy who died after being locked in a parked car in Ras Al Khaimah for several hours on Friday.
Al Matrooshi said that it’s dangerous to keep a child alone in a car — and that sometimes, given the hot weather, the car itself can catch fire.
He warned that there’s still a danger in parking garages and shaded areas.
According to the Ajman Civil Defence records most incidents of children being left inside parked cars occur when parents are in a rush.
“They intentionally leave them, because they’re just running into the store for a minute,” Al Matrooshi said.
“Even a minute is too long.”
He wants to see the issue and dangers highlighted in the media to warn parents.
“It’s sad to hear that a parent forgot their child for a long time in a car, which caused death,” he said.
In Umm Al Quwain, there is a Dh300 for leaving vehicle engine running.
“We have already distributed some awareness brochures in front of the emirate’s mosques, gas stations, banks and ATMs, apart from the regular inspection patrols deployed,” Lt-Col Saeed Obaid Bin Aran, Director of traffic and Patrols Department of the UAQ Police, told Gulf News.
“Young children should never be left alone inside the car, and the same applies to precious items and important belongings,” he added.
