Thinking about leaving your child in a car for safety? Most probably, you’re risking the baby rather than saving them. When your child is alone, there’s no scope for you to take care of them.
So the question arises, ” leaving child in car unattended law Canada?” The answer is a straight NO. Let’s know why it is illegal or even risky to leave your child alone in a car.
What Criminal Law in Canada Says about It?
According to the Canadian police, it is illegal for parents or guardians to leave the child alone in a car. Additionally, you can find other clauses under child welfare and traffic acts.
There is no protection for your child when you leave them alone in the car. So, you will be responsible if they get into an unexpected event.
Therefore, Canadian Criminal Law suggests that you should never leave your child in a car, or the court will charge you.
What Should You Do?
While you travel or go for some work, you should remember that the vehicle is not a babysitter. It is very risky to leave your child in an empty car in most cases.
While you’re at home, don’t you keep an eye on your child? Similarly, you should keep an eye on the kids while they’re in the car. Also, after you park your car, keep your keys safe so that the children can’t reach them.
Additionally, there are many circumstances that you should avoid. For example, you should never let your child play with the steering. If you are away from the car, leaving them alone, there’s a high chance they might cause trouble.
If your child is asleep, make sure to wake them to avoid any trouble in the future. What if they wake up and get locked inside?
These situations are tragic and stressful, but you can always be prepared for them. So, it would be best to keep a set of spare keys and check before you lock yourself out.
Unexpected Possibilities to Leave Your Child Alone in a Car
Many unexpected incidents might occur when you leave your child alone in a car. However, some situations can turn extreme, putting the baby at risk.
Imagine you left your baby alone in a car, and they shifted the gears accidentally. The car will eventually start moving and cause an accident.
What if they roll down the windows and slip off them? They would end up with injuries in no time. Additionally, you won’t be there to help the baby. The child might get shocked and traumatized. In most cases, these traumas tend to affect a person for a long time.
Another possible accident that your child might face is the changing of temperatures. The car might have decreased or increased temperature, leading to freezing or overheating. As a result, your child’s health will deteriorate within a few minutes.
What would you do if you saw a child alone?
You might go through an incident where you saw a child alone in a locked car. In such cases, you can follow a few steps to help the child.
- Call 911
This is the most helpful step that you can take. When you call the police, you should always provide as much information as possible, like number plates or other related descriptions. If you can’t connect to the hotline, you should move to the nearest police station.
- Hang on with the Kid
Is the kid awake in the car? Try to hang on with the child and keep contacting emergency support. Until the help arrives, you can try helping the child to get out of the locked car.
- Seek assistance from your surrounding
Look around and try to find the guardian or parent. In case you find them, come together and try to bring out the child.
If you don’t find a guardian or parent, you can seek assistance from the people around you. A driver or people from a store is a great option who might help you.
- Stay calm
Whether you can help or not, make sure you’re calm and cool to save a life. It would be best to wait for the emergency help and start processing to unlock the baby. Until then, you can stay there to keep the baby calm.
Final Verdict
Hopefully, you got a clear idea about your question, “is it legal to leave your child alone in a car?” The answer is “no.”
In case you’re facing such an issue, you should stay calm and seek help in an emergency. But, it would be best if you always thought about your child’s safety before taking any step.
So, better be safe than sorry!