Tips On How To Prevent Locking Your Children In The Car

The figures are tragic: since 1990, more than 600 children have lost their lives in an accidental car locking incident across the United States. Heat strokes, below zero temperatures that could cause hypothermia and the risk of children trying to drive the vehicle they are stuck in are the most common types of risks associated with leaving your children inside a locked car.

As a parent, it can be difficult not to get distracted given the large number of chores and responsibilities you have on your plate and mind on a 24/7 basis. Your struggle to take care of everything on your own can oftentimes fail, given the numerous bumps in the road thrown your way. The risk of accidentally locking your children in your car is part of this list of lurking perils. In fact, it is one of the most common types of accidents that involve children and cars and it happens more often than you might imagine.

To come to your help and prevent you from learning how to handle this type of emergency the hard way, here are a few useful tips to follow. Remember, if you are currently dealing with a lockout with your children stuck in your car, give us a call straight away and let us come to the rescue.

Don't Let Your Car Keys Out Of Sight

Children, especially toddlers, tend to be extra curious about pretty much anything around them. This includes car keys, phones, prescription pills left unsupervised on the kitchen countertop and so on. Never drop the keys to your car whenever you can find a free spot in your house. Always place them inside your purse, in your pocket or on a tall shelf or hanger where your kids will not be able to easily reach them. It is not uncommon for kids to tamper with car locks or steal your keys in an attempt to get inside the car and pretend to drive, imitating your behavior. Because most of today's modern cars feature auto locks, this only makes them more vulnerable to accidental lockouts.

Keep A Set Of Spare Keys Inside The House

If you should always carry your original car keys on you at all times or as often as you can, you are also advised to have a spare set of keys cut and stored somewhere safe inside the house. You could also leave your keys with one of your trusty neighbors and make sure you can access them in case of an emergency. A spare key will come a long way and help you prevent a tragedy while saving you precious time, energy and money. If you decide to keep your spare keys on you, use a different key ring and never keep them together with your original set or you will render them useless. For any spare key or key fob duplication needs, get in touch with the Get-Locksmith service. We handle all makes and models of vehicles and we can assist you on the spot.

Keep A Constant Eye On Your Kids

• This should go without saying and some parents might even feel slightly offended at the thought that someone might suggest they are not looking after their precious angels. This is not, by far, what we are implying.

• The problem here is that children tend to be extremely sneaky, quick to run and hide and basically do things they aren't supposed to do, out of curiosity.

• If you are on the phone with someone important, running an errand with them in the car, or stressed out about something, you could slip your mind for a second and fail to notice your child has vanished.

• Going shopping for milk at the corner shop and leaving your child in the car for just a brief second is sometimes all it takes for a tragedy to happen.

• No matter how big of a rush you might be in, see that you always have your children right by your side. This is the golden rule that should help you steer clear from the dramatic car lockout incidents where kids are involved.

• Heat strokes are some of the greatest hazards you could be looking at in case your small one does get locked in your car. Children's temperature rises at an extremely fast pace during a heat stroke, affecting critical internal organs and even leading to death. If the A/C is not left on inside the car, and there is no additional source of air ventilation, a child's body temperature can easily rise to 90 degrees F in less than 60 minutes.

• Plus, a child that is locked inside the car is also likely to try to dry the vehicle, especially if the keys are left into the ignition as well. Car crashes, some more serious accidents, and body damage are all potential results of this type of behavior.

Periodically Inspect Your Car

Make sure you always know what condition your car is in - lock mechanisms, key fobs and lock on trunk included. The smallest vulnerability or glitch could easily lead to locks and ignition switches jamming, or accidental lockouts, keys breaking in the lock and the list goes on. Talk to expert locksmith services for cars and schedule periodical inspection and maintenance work. This should give you more peace of mind, knowing a potential car or car lock malfunction is less likely to occur.

You should also make a habit out of always checking the interior of your car for any items you might have left behind – phone, keys, bags, laptop – as well as your children. A one-month baby sleeping quietly in the backseat and not making a peep may be more easy to ignore than you might imagine.