Let’s face it. We know just how hot the Australian sun can get and just what happens when we leave the car with the windows up, even for a short period of time. It gets hot. VERY HOT.
Kidsafe teamed up with AAMI and celebrity chef Matt Moran to bring to life ‘The Unconventional Oven’ and let’s just say it shocked the pants off most of them!
And here’s why.
Matt Moran prepared a meal for awaiting food media, bloggers and members of the public interested in finding out about the ‘product launch’ of the unconventional oven.
The Unconventional Oven by Matt MoranThis is no ordinary oven. It’s an ordinary car. Watch Matt Moran’s demonstration on the dangers of leaving children unattended in cars.#theunconventionaloven
Posted by Kidsafe Australia on Wednesday, 2 December 2015
He prepared his plate and told them to sit tight while he went and retrieved his meat from this very ‘unconventional oven.’ Off he trotted to a nearby SUV right there, in front of them and proceeded to pull out a nicely cooked piece of lamb that he’d placed in the car not more than 90 minutes earlier. This car had been sitting out in the Bondi sun, and had reached scorching temperatures of over 75°C.
The tragic part here is that thousands of kids are left in hot cars every year, sometimes with tragic consequences.
So, how hot does the car get?
A parked car can become 20-30 degrees hotter than the outside temperature. 75% of the heating occurs in the first 5 minutes and 90% in the first 15 minutes.
But, what if I leave the window open?
Leaving the window open has minimal effect on reducing the internal temperature of the car (only 1 degree Celsius when 1cm open).
Why are kids at risk?
Children are particularly at risk because they lose fluid quickly. Dehydrated children are at risk of suffering potentially life threatening heatstroke.
How does it happen?
Parents often leave kids in the car thinking that they will be back in ‘just a minute’. This often turns into 10-15 minutes which places children in extreme danger.
Sometimes kids get locked in the car because they are playing with the car keys. It is important to call emergency services to get the child out of the car as quickly as possible.
In very sad events, usually due to change in routine, parents have forgotten their child is in the back seat. We urge you to put in place a ‘look before you leave’ routine whenever you get out of the car and leave something important on the backseat that you need to take with you (e.g. your wallet).
Help share the KidSafe message, use the hashtag #theunconventionaloven and remind everyone you know: Never leave kids unattended in the car.
