DUBAI: As summer peaks, Abu Dhabi Police are cracking down on negligent behavior that could prove fatal in minutes.

As the mercury climbs across the UAE, authorities are urgently reminding the public about the deadly risk of leaving children unattended in parked vehicles. Temperatures inside a stationary car can spike by up to 30°C above the outside temperature, creating a lethal trap in just minutes. The warning comes after the UAE recorded its highest-ever May temperature—51.6°C in Al Ain—prompting renewed enforcement efforts by Abu Dhabi Police.

Officials stress that even brief exposure in a locked car can lead to heatstroke, oxygen depletion, and fatal outcomes, especially for young children. In some cases, kids may also lock themselves in or tamper with vehicle controls, further endangering their lives.

Under the Federal Law on Child Rights—commonly referred to as the ‘Wadeema Law’—leaving a child in a hot car is classified as neglect and is punishable by jail time or fines. Article 35 of the law allows for penalties of up to Dh5,000, which may escalate to Dh10,000 and imprisonment in serious cases involving life-threatening endangerment.

In an effort to prevent tragedies, Abu Dhabi’s Early Childhood Authority and Public Health Centre released a detailed safety guide urging parents to follow key precautions. These include locking vehicles when empty, keeping keys out of reach, and placing a personal item like a mobile phone next to the child in the back seat as a reminder. Modern vehicles equipped with ‘child presence detection’ systems are also recommended.

The guide also emphasizes public intervention—encouraging bystanders to immediately call emergency services at 999 or 998 if they spot a child alone in a vehicle.

The dangers are not hypothetical. In a 2023 experiment by the Sharjah Child Safety Department, car interiors reached deadly temperatures within ten minutes, causing volunteers inside to suffer symptoms like dizziness, nausea, and reduced oxygen levels. Medical experts note that the body’s effort to cool down by sweating depletes vital fluids and salts, potentially leading to fainting, cardiac distress, and in extreme cases, suffocation.

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