Heat is the main risk for children left unattended in cars. Children can suffer life-threatening heatstroke, rapid dehydration, suffocation and death. This is because cars can get very hot very quickly. In fact, on a hot day, the temperature inside a parked car can be as much as 40°C hotter than it is outside.
“When you get to your final destination, if the baby is still sleeping, the best thing to do is to fully remove the child from the car seat and put him or her into a safe sleep environment, such as a firm, flat crib or bassinet,” Haverstick says. In other words, car seats are safe for travel, not prolonged sleep.
In Victoria, it is an offence for a person responsible for a child to leave the child unattended for any longer than is reasonable, without making appropriate arrangements for the child's supervision and care. This includes leaving a child unattended in a car.
In Victoria, it is against the law to leave a child unattended in a car. Penalties include: fines, or. up to six months' jail.
Leaving a child or a young person unattended in a motor vehicle is an offence under section 231 of the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW).
It's also against the law to leave a child alone in a car in New South Wales with penalties of up to $20,000 applied. NSW legislation defines a child as “a person who is under the age of 16 years” and a young person as “a person who is aged 16 years or above but who is under the age of 18 years.”
Heavier penalties apply carrying 2-years imprisonment or $22,000 fine, or both for neglecting to provide adequate and proper food, nursing, clothing, medical aid or lodging a child, whether or not you are the parent of the child or young person, if done without reasonable excuse, according to section 228.
No legal age for leaving children home alone
There's no one law in Australia that says how old your child has to be before you can leave them alone. In Queensland, if you leave a child under 12 years of age for an unreasonable amount of time without supervision and care, you have committed a criminal offence.
There is no specific law in Victoria that says what age children can be left alone. Victorian law is clear however, that it is a parent's responsibility to ensure that their children are appropriately and safely cared for.
Suitable child car restraint
Children aged between 6 months and 4 years must use either a rear-facing child car seat or a forward-facing child car seat with an inbuilt harness. Children aged between 4 and 7 years must use a forward‑facing child car seat with an inbuilt harness or an approved booster seat.
Keeping your passengers safe
Never leave infants or children alone in a parked car—not even for 1 minute. Nothing—not cracking the windows nor running the air conditioner or heater—can ensure the car remains at a temperature that is safe for your child.
Children less than 1 year old can be held on the lap of someone 16 years or older. Children more than 1 year old and less than 7 years old can be restrained using a seat belt (but must not sit in the front seat if the vehicle has 2 or more rows of seats).
Section 364A of the Criminal Code states that it is an offence in Queensland to leave a child under the age of 12 unattended for an “unreasonable time” without making provision for their supervision and care. The maximum penalty for committing an offence against this section is three years imprisonment.
Safety first
Never leave your baby alone in the car, even for a minute (Child Development Institute, 2018). We know how a stressful and distracting a crying baby in the car can be. Rather than keep going, take time to stop and calm your baby before continuing with the journey (Child Development Institute, 2018).
In general, it's not a good idea to leave kids younger than 10 years old home alone. Every child is different, but at that age, most kids don't have the maturity and skills to respond to an emergency if they're alone.
"It is never OK to leave kids or pets in a car -- even with the windows down,” says Christopher McStay, MD, an emergency room doctor and assistant professor of emergency medicine at New York University Langone Medical Center. “It is an absolute no-no."
There is no actual law stating the age children can be left at home alone. However the law is clear that parents are responsible for their children's safety and they should not be left in situations where they could be harmed.
From 14 years, children are considered fully responsible if they break the law. It doesn't have to be proved that they knew their behaviour was 'seriously wrong'. Children aged 10-17 years are generally treated as 'children' by the police and the children's courts.
Washington State does not have any laws or rules that say at what age a child can be left home alone. In general, children under the age of 10 should not be left on their own, and babies and younger children should not be left alone even for a few minutes.
Section 3(1) of the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1997 (Tas.) defines a child as a person under 18 years of age. (ii) the injured, abused or neglected person's physical or psychological development is in jeopardy'.
Children left unsupervised often exhibit higher levels of fear, stress, loneliness and boredom. They are also at a greater risk to be involved in accidents and to be victimized by strangers, siblings, and friends. Children left home alone may also be more vulnerable to sexual abuse due to their easier access.
In Queensland you're expected to live with your parents or legal guardians until you are 18—but there's no law that says you must stay at home until then. Once you turn 16, you won't normally be forced to return home by the authorities as long as you've got a safe place to go and you can financially support yourself.
If you see a child alone in a car, try to find the parents or contact local authorities. Supervision by adults is the best way to keep children safe in most situations, and a locked car is no exception. Children who are left alone in a car are at risk for several dangers, including heatstroke.
Under C.G.S. § 53-21a, Connecticut makes it a crime for a parent, guardian or someone supervising a child to knowingly leave a child under the age of 12 years old alone in a motor vehicle or unsupervised in a place of public accommodation for a length of time that creates a risk of harm to the child's health or safety.
In South Australia, the offence of criminal neglect may apply where a child dies or suffers serious harm as a result of being left in a car for an unreasonable amount of time or otherwise left unattended. The penalties for the offence range from five to 15 years in prison.