Beaming hot sun and a locked car can be a deadly combination for children and pets, but Vancouver police say there are perfectly legal ways for bystanders to intervene.
Const. Brian Montague told CTV News anyone who comes across a child locked in a hot car should phone 911 – and if the child appears to be in distress, the operator may ask the caller to break a window.
“If you think that child needs to be taken out of the vehicle immediately and you’re willing and able to do it, there’s no reason you shouldn’t,” Montague said.
“You have no intent to perform a criminal act, so you would not be held criminally responsible for breaking someone’s window.”
Montague said it may be difficult to determine whether the child is in distress, but a 911 operator should be able to help.
Doctors at BC Children’s Hospital said kids are much more susceptible to heat than adults because they have less capacity to sweat as the humidity in the vehicle rises.
Two Canadian children have already died after being left in sweltering cars this year, first in Milton, Ont. on June 26 and in Edmonton, Alta. a week later.
Abbotsford Police Const. Ian MacDonald said you don’t have to be a bad parent to leave your child in the car – sometimes it’s just forgetfulness, especially among new parents.
He suggests doing things to trigger your memory that the toddler is driving with you.
“Maybe put your belongings in the back seat where the little one is so there’s no way you can possibly forget and get out of the vehicle without collecting all of your valuables – including the little ones,” he said.
MacDonald said if a Good Samaritan is going to break a car window, that person should avoid breaking one adjacent to the child or pet.
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Maria Weisgarber
