Teach children 3 ways to escape if left in a car

Dr. Hoang Ngoc Tan - Head of the Department of Automotive Engineering, Lac Hong University - said there are some quite simple principles that kindergarten students can absolutely be taught and implemented in the unfortunate case of being dropped. Forgot in the car or shuttle bus.

1. Honk the car horn

With most current car models, even if you turn off the engine, remove the key, or even leave the key a very far distance from the car, you can still honk the car horn. That's because the car horn uses a power source connected directly to the battery. The battery in the tank can completely provide power for the horn to sound for many hours continuously.

Instruct your child how to honk the car horn - (Photo: internet).

Therefore, teachers, nannies or parents should show children where the car horn is and how to honk it. 

In the unfortunate case of being left in a car without external communication devices, children should go to the location of the car horn and honk continuously to attract the attention of people around them. This is the simplest and most effortless way that almost any child can do if guided in advance.

2. Press the emergency lights

Press hazard lights to attract attention from around - (Photo: CARANDBIKE).

Similar to the horn, emergency lights (hazard lights) can still operate when the vehicle is turned off and even if it is locked from the outside. Just press the button, the emergency lights installed in the 2 front corners and 2 rear corners of the car will flash continuously, in some cars there will also be a sound, helping to attract the attention of people around. .

The hazard light button on the car's control frame is easy to identify with a white triangle on a red background. Teachers and parents can easily guide children on the location of this light and how to press the button. Children can combine hazard lights and horns at the same time.

3. Find the unlock button on the driver's seat

Unlock and close button icons on the driver's seat that children can look for - (Photo: fordservicecontent.com).

In case the car is parked in a place with almost no people around, children should look for the buttons on the side of the driver's seat. There, many current car models often have 2 buttons shaped like an open lock and a closed lock. Children just need to press the open lock button, then pull the door handle outward and push it out to open the door.

Currently, most cars can be unlocked from the inside. In some new models of cars, when you press the unlock button, the car windows are lowered at the same time, providing an additional escape route for children.

This button on the driver's seat is usually easy to identify, and children can practice it once or twice to know how to use it. In some cars, the driver's seat also has similar buttons.

Be careful with children who fall asleep in the car

The above 3 escape methods will be effective when the child is awake, but the most dangerous is when the child falls asleep in the car. When the amount of oxygen decreases and the temperature in the car increases rapidly, it will easily cause children to have difficulty breathing, suffocate, and in some cases, even die in their sleep. If you are on a vehicle with a smaller size, the risk of suffocation when left in the vehicle is higher.

Some new electric vehicles now have occupant sensors. The sensor can detect whether there is a person sitting in the car, and the operating mechanism is similar to the seat belt sensor. When the sensor detects that people are still in the car, the car will not be able to lock the doors. However, this feature is not available on buses and passenger cars.

Therefore, the observation role of adults before leaving the vehicle is very important. In school buses, drivers or nannies accompanying the children should spend a few extra minutes carefully checking the seats as well as comparing the number of children before and after getting off the bus to avoid this situation. The children did not get off the bus because they overslept.

Nearly 1,000 children died in the US

Data from the US National Safety Agency shows that since 1998, there have been 971 cases of children left in cars dying from heat stroke in the US. Among them, 505 children were accidentally left behind, 237 children got into the car without an adult detecting them, and 200 children were left in the car intentionally.

Every year, about 37 children under 15 years old in the US die from heat stroke due to leaving them in cars.