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Leaving Child in Car Unattended Law in Canada

Leaving Child in Car Unattended Law in Canada

Leaving your child alone in a car can lead to very risky and serious consequences. In some cases, it also can put your child’s life at risk. According to Canadian criminal law, it is a criminal offense if you leave your child alone in the parked vehicle. Keep reading this article, you’ll learn more about leaving child in a car unattended law in Canada.

If you intentionally leave your child alone in a parked vehicle, then you are not with your child. As a result, if something terrible happens with your child, you cannot protect your child or help them.

That is why, in the criminal code of Canada, if you leave your under-aged child alone in a parked car, then you will be criminally charged by the authority.

So, in this writing, we will try to understand what can happen if you leave your child alone in a parked car. Keep reading the entire article to learn more. Or contact our expert lawyers to get a proper consultation.

How Can You Prevent Any Tragic Situation?

First and foremost, you need to remember that if you have any children traveling with you. Then you should not consider your car as a babysitter.

Because sometimes, an empty vehicle can be very dangerous for your under-aged child. Suppose you are at your home. Then you can make sure that you always keep your children in check.

If you have any parked cars at your home, try to make sure they are properly locked. And the car keys are out of your children’s reach.

Another important thing that needs to be noted is that you should not let your kids play with your car when you are out of your home driving along with your children.

And if your child is taking a nap, then you should wake them up rather than leave them alone in your car.

In some cases, people unintentionally and accidentally lock their car keys and children inside the car. That can be a very stressful and tragic situation for the parent and for the child too.

That is why, to avoid such a situation, you can always double-check before locking your car door. You can also keep a backup key for your car, or you can use the manual lock rather than an auto-lock.

What Can Possibly Happen If You Leave Your Child Alone in a Parked Car?

First of all, if you leave your child alone in a locked car, then a lot can happen. Sometimes, the situation can be very serious. Firstly, you are putting your child’s life at risk.

If your child is in your car alone, they can easily shift the gear while playing with the brakes. In that case, the car can be in motion.

As a result, they can get frightened. If you are not with your child at that moment, you cannot help them. In some situations, your child also can roll up from the car windows by themselves.  As a result, it can cause them serious injuries or even death.

However, in a locked vehicle, the temperature of your car can get increased or decreased very quickly. That can cause overheat or freezing temperature for your under-aged children.

If You Spot a Child Left Alone in a Car

If you ever find or spot an unattended child left alone in a parked car, then there are certain things that you should do.

First and foremost, you should immediately call 911 or the police. Then try to give them as much information as possible. Such as the number plate of the vehicle, any other descriptions, and the other details.

If you face any trouble contacting the emergency, then you can contact any nearby roadside assistance in your area.

Then, if the child is awake inside the car, try to stay with the car until or unless the emergency assistance comes. After that, you should try to help them as much as you can.

You can also look for the drivers and ask the nearby store to find the driver out. And if you find the driver or the parent. Then it would help if you did not make a scene. Instead, focus on the situation and try to help the child.

No matter what the situation is, try not to be panicked. And if possible, wait for emergency assistance and stay with the child.

In the Bottom Line

If you find yourself in such a situation, then try to handle that situation wisely and smartly. But sometimes, things will not go the way you want.

The situation can be more difficult and complicated than your think. If the situation is very serious, that you need to break the window glass of the car.

Then it would help if you made sure of the child’s safety first. For example, if you always broke the glass on the opposite side of the child’s seat in such a situation. But if the situation is not that serious, then you should wait until the emergency assistance arrives.

Hopefully, this writing helped you to understand some basics of what can happen if you leave your child alone in a parked car.