If you are concerned about the welfare of another person’s life, never hesitate to call 999. One of our critical control centre operators will talk you through the situation and offer advice and help over the phone. Or if necessary they will send out an emergency service to assist you.
Children, pets and the elderly are particularly vulnerable as they are less able to cope with high temperatures and may not recognise the symptoms of heat-related illness such as dehydration. It's not just warm days that can present a risk: vehicle glass behaves like a greenhouse which means in sunshine, temperatures can rise quickly inside a closed vehicle. A child left in a parked car under those conditions for even a few minutes can very quickly become distressed, dehydrated and can die from organ failure. If you see anything, you need to act quickly. If you wait, it can be too late.
In less urgent circumstances, consider calling a locksmith or your breakdown service if you have one.
Advice to remember if this ever happens to you:
- Keep calm and don’t panic
- Think clearly and act quickly
- Call 999 immediately for the emergency services if you have any concerns about a person’s health
Top tips to prevent the risk of this happening to you:
- Keep your keys with you at all times.
- Never give a child the keys to play with in the car.
- Don't close all the doors unless you’re sure you have the keys.
- Leave a window open so that if central locking is activated you can still get in.
- Keep spare keys at home.