The government of the United Arab Emirates has issued strict laws and penalties regarding leaving children inside the car alone, and parents going out to buy things.
Temperatures rise significantly inside the car
Given that the temperatures inside the car may reach 30 degrees Celsius higher than the temperature outside, leaving children inside closed cars is fatal if left for only one minute, in light of the significant rise in temperatures in the UAE, specifically during the noon hours.
The Abu Dhabi Children's Authority clarified the center, especially after the recent death of a 7-year-old child in Sharjah inside a car he was left in. The child died due to the high temperature inside the car, which led to the child suffocating.
Heatstroke is the leading cause of death in children
The Abu Dhabi Public Health Center also confirmed that leaving children inside the car to do a quick errand to buy something, for example, is extremely dangerous and is considered major negligence, given that heatstroke is the main cause of child deaths in vehicle-related accidents other than traffic accidents.
The center called on parents to understand the risks resulting from leaving children unattended in locked cars.
The penalty for leaving a child in a locked car in the UAE
In accordance with the Federal Law on Child Rights in the United Arab Emirates, which is also known as the Wadima Law.
Parents who leave their children inside a closed car will be fined up to 1 million dirhams and imprisoned for up to 10 years.
Locked cars are deadly traps for children
The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority and Abu Dhabi Public Health Center explained that temperatures inside a closed car may rise by about 30 degrees Celsius above the temperature outside the car, and this happens in a short period of time.
According to recent findings conducted by the Child Safety Department in Sharjah, when outside temperatures range between 40 to 45 degrees Celsius, the temperature inside the lock can quickly rise up to 30 degrees higher within just 10 minutes.
The authority indicated that extreme temperatures may lead to heatstroke, dizziness, fatigue, headache and nausea, and extreme heat also leads to a significant drop in oxygen levels.
The authority said that if the human body is exposed to high temperatures, the body cools itself by sweating, and thus loses vital fluids and salts, which disrupts the electrochemical balance within the cells.
This causes high heart rates, high blood pressure, and reduced oxygen levels in the bloodstream, leading to fainting, which leads to severe suffocation and death.
