Ambulance paramedics were called to 13 incidents concerning people being left unattended in vehicles in Sunbury in a 12 month period.
New data from Ambulance Victoria shows there were also two emergency calls for people stuck inside vehicles in Romsey, one in Woodend, one in Kyneton and one in Diggers Rest between September 1, 2016, and August 31 last year.
Across the state, Ambulance Victoria responded to 1696 call-outs – 95 per cent of cases involvied toddlers and babies left in cars.
The state government has released the figures to coincide with the launch of a campaign aimed at making motorists aware that it is unsafe to leave children unattended in cars, especially in summer.
Minister for families and children Jenny Mikakos has warned parents that leaving children unattended inside a vehicle is against the law.
“There’s no excuse and no exception,” Ms Mikakos said. “Our children should never be left in cars.
“Even on a milder day in the mid-20s the temperature inside a parked vehicle can easily get to 20 to 30 degrees hotter than outside.”
Studies have shown that body temperatures of children rise three to five times faster than an adults – putting them at greater risk of life-threatening heat stroke, dehydration and organ damage.
Leaving a child unattended in a vehicles could result in fines of up to $3900 and a six month jail sentence.
