UAE: Police warn parents against leaving children unattended in cars

Police in Abu Dhabi have issued a fresh warning to families about the need to take good care of children and not to leave them unattended in cars, which may result in injuries or deaths.

Captain Mohammed Hamad Al Isai, director of Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrols Directorate said during a recent interview on a local television that leaving a child unattended to in a car is a crime punishable by a fine of not less than Dh5,000 on the guardian and this could be accompanied by a jail sentence.

Al Isai cited a recent incident of a child who suffocated to death in the sweltering heat when his father forgot him inside the car.

He said the father, who was apparently busy attending to a work-related phone call throughout the trip, had forgotten the child who was sleeping when he moved out and locked the car after reaching home.

It was after some time when the man realised that he had forgotten the child behind in the parked car. By the time he remembered to check the back of his vehicle, the child had already died.

“I hope families will take this incident as a warning. Whenever you move out, you must ensure that you check your car before locking it up,” warned the officer.

“Parents should not leave children unattended to, even for a minute, when moving out of the car. Guardians are responsible for the well-being and safety of children.”

He noted that this act of negligence exposes the lives of children to danger and that parents who leave their children behind in parked cars will be prosecuted for negligence.

“It is very dangerous for parents to leave their children in vehicles without adult supervision,” said the officer adding that leaving children alone inside parked cars at homes or in other places is an act of negligence which leads to serious consequences including death.

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