Recently, a 3-year-old innocent girl died of suffocation in a car in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district. The girl was taken for a walk by her neighbor in the car. After this he locked the girl in the car and went drinking with friends. The innocent girl was locked in the car for 4 hours, due to which she died.
A few days ago, a similar incident took place in Gujarat's Amreli district, where four children of the same family died due to suffocation in a car. All four children were playing in the car. Meanwhile, the gate of the car was locked. The children died of suffocation inside.
Many such incidents have been seen before. Often parents leave their children in the car and go shopping. Or kids lock themselves in cars when they're alone. Parents need to be very alert and careful to prevent such incidents.
So, today'work news' In we will talk about what precautions should be taken regarding the safety of children in the car. You will also learn that-
- How to keep children safe in the car while traveling?
- What to do if the child is locked in the car?
Expert – Dr. Anshu Sharma, Pediatrician (Mathura)
Question: If a child is locked inside a car for a long time, it can die. Why does this happen?
Answer: If you stay in a closed car for a long time, the air flow stops, which causes the oxygen level inside the car to decrease. Gradually the level of carbon dioxide in the car begins to rise and the level of oxygen begins to fall. After a point, breathing becomes impossible and the person inside begins to suffocate. Apart from this, the level of carbon monoxide gas inside the car also increases due to heat. Due to which suffocation also occurs inside.
Also, if the car is parked in the sun and its AC is turned off, the temperature inside can almost double that outside in a short time. In such cases, overheating can also lead to suffocation.
Overall, it is not possible to breathe for long periods of time inside a closed vehicle. If a person is stuck in such a position for a long time, he dies due to inability to breathe.
Question: What are the things to keep in mind while traveling in a car with children?
Answer- Negligence of parents is the leading cause of death of children or serious car accidents. Parents often leave their children alone in the car to go shopping. A child is locked in a car alone for several hours. In such a situation, an accident may occur. So, there are a few things to keep in mind while traveling with kids.
Understand this from the following graphic.
Let's talk in detail about some of the points given in the graphic.
When buying a car, definitely look for child safety features
If you are thinking of buying a new car, be sure to have child safety features in it. Things like child safety lock, child seat and seatbelt reminder are important in this.
Teach children to stay away from car buttons Nowadays there are automatic cars. It has features ranging from changing gears at the push of a button to opening the car's windows or sunroof. These buttons can be dangerous for children to play with. Therefore, parents should teach children that pressing these buttons is dangerous. What can be done by suppressing them?
Always keep a small child in the back seat According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children under the age of 13 should always ride in the back seat. In case of an accident, the back seat is 70% safer than the front seat.
Also, a child should never be placed in a seat with a front air bag. The front air bag is designed for an adult. Opening it suddenly can cause serious injury or suffocation to the child.
Have a child seat installed for small children
If you have a small child at home, definitely install a separate child seat in your car. A child should not travel without a child seat. Child seats provide additional protection to the child in case of an accident. However, fit the child seat according to your child's age, height and weight.
Placing a 'Baby on Board' sticker in the car
If you are traveling with children, be sure to put a 'Baby on Board' sticker on the back of the car. It means there is a child in the car. This sign is placed to warn other drivers, so they can take extra care when passing around the car. Additionally, if an accident does occur, this sticker lets emergency services know that there is an infant or small child in the car, so they can provide immediate assistance.
Do not give food or drink to a child in a moving car Eating snacks in a moving car can get stuck in a child's throat, causing breathing problems. Therefore, children should be given drinks and snacks only after stopping the car. Apart from this, breastfeeding should also be avoided in a moving car.
Question- What to do if a child gets locked in a car? Ans- If the child is accidentally locked in the car, parents should adopt some methods without losing patience. You can see this in the graphic below.
Note – The story begins with a recent incident, in which the biggest villain is alcohol. So it is very important to be careful with alcohol, drugs or any kind of intoxication. If you have a child with you at home, in the car or even in a public place, do not touch alcohol at all. Alcohol negatively affects our memory, judgment and decision-making ability. In such situations, adults are not fully capable of protecting children.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
