With the arrival of high temperatures, the danger of dehydration and harm to children left in vehicles increases. Considering previous similar cases, we remind parents and all caregivers of the risks and dangers of exposing children to the sun and high temperatures. Even a short stay in a heated vehicle can have tragic consequences.

The Ministry of the Interior, in cooperation with the Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, has created an informational leaflet. It highlights the consequences of leaving children in vehicles, the legal frameworks, and expert recommendations. The goal is to increase the awareness of parents and other responsible persons about the importance of caring for the youngest to avoid tragedies.

Children are less able to adapt to high temperatures than adults, so their bodies heat up significantly faster (three to five times). High external temperatures quickly lead to an increase in children's body temperature and heat stroke. If not reacted to in time, organ failure occurs. Just 15 minutes in an overheated car can cause brain and kidney damage, and even death.

DO NOT LEAVE CHILDREN ALONE IN VEHICLES!
Leaving children unattended in a closed vehicle is gross neglect and abuse, which is a criminal offense of Violation of Child Rights. The consequences can be death or serious health impairment, and the responsible person can be punished with imprisonment from 1 to 15 years.

Stress, the hustle and bustle of life, and numerous daily obligations often lead to parental forgetfulness. The fight with memory manifests in such a way that activities are performed automatically, without conscious attention, which can result in forgetting important actions, such as turning off the iron or stove.

Special attention should be directed to children, as during the summer months, the number of accidents increases when parents, due to high temperatures and the burden of obligations, leave children alone in the vehicle.

AVOIDING AUTOMATIC ACTIONS:
- Consciously paying attention to movements when getting into the car (e.g., touching the steering wheel, sounds from the surroundings).
- Changing routines (route to work, order of actions, not performing multiple actions simultaneously).
- Leaving items that need to be taken before leaving the car on the back seat (bag, mobile phone, laptop).
- Adopting methods of coping with stress and being present in the moment.

CHILD EDUCATION:
- Explain to children (in an appropriate way) that they should and can react if a parent leaves them in the vehicle.
- Present possible ways of reacting (leaving the vehicle, opening the windows, or signaling).

Children should not be left in the vehicle even at moderately high temperatures, nor "for just a few minutes with the doors or windows open." This is an extremely important rule in protecting the health and life of our children.