Don't Leave Your Child Inside the Car, says Captain Obvious

There are days where everything just doesn't go according to your way. You might get splashed with water while walking under the rain; or you might have a flat tire on the way to work; or you might be rattled due to the other's shortcomings. However, all of the mentioned hassles wouldn't match if you forget your child inside the car--that's just a whole new level of stupi...err..absent-mindedness.

Dr. Khairil Anwar Abu Kassim, the Secretary General of ASEAN NCAP, said forgetting a child inside the car is dangerous due to the risk of heat stroke. What's more interesting is, there are more than 50 percent recorded cases which states that individuals "unknowingly left [a child> in the vehicle," according to Dr. Khairil. It seems that there are a good number of absent-minded individuals in the ASEAN region.

Before you jump to conclusions and make a judgement, those 50-percent have a valid point as to why they "unknowingly left [a child> in the vehicle." First, rear facing car seats look the same whether there's a child in it or not. Second, most children or babies often fall asleep and become a quiet and cute little being. Considering these points, there's a possibility that an individual can forget that he/she has a child passenger at the rear.

To put things in perspective, the interior of the vehicle heats up immediately and it sort of transforms like an oven. The temperature inside of the car increases 80 percent in the first 10 minutes. The cabin temp can then reach to 125 degrees in less than an hour. Dr. Khairil added that children have died from heatstroke in cases in temperature as low as 60 degrees. Imagine leaving your child inside the car that's parked under the scorching sun.

If you're traveling with a child, make sure to always check the backseat before you leave the vehicle. Yes, this may sound a bit too obvious but, you'll never know as this can happen to anyone. After all, your child means the world to you, right? So, check the backseat before you leave the car and push the lock button.