Unattended Children In Vehicles Campaign Announced By County Officials

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Contact: Mary Anderson, 240-777-6534

For Immediate Release: April 3, 2001

Unattended Children In Vehicles Campaign
Announced By County Officials

County Executive Douglas M. Duncan, Montgomery County Police Chief Charles A. Moose and staff from Child Welfare Services today announced a public education campaign targeted at parents who leave children unattended in vehicles. Duncan made the announcement at a Dunkin’ Donuts store in Wheaton, site of a car theft in November where a small child was left in a vehicle and the vehicle was stolen with the child inside.

Concerned about the number of child neglect calls and reports involving children left alone in vehicles, child welfare social workers began developing the campaign to alert the public to the dangers of leaving children unattended and to remind the public that it is against the law.

Maryland law states that "…it is against the law to leave a child under eight years old in a motor vehicle without proper supervision (a reliable person at least 13 years old.) Failure to follow this law could result in a fine of $500.00 per child and a mandatory court appearance.”

“What happened here at Dunkin’ Donuts was a quick decision by a parent that turned serious when her car was stolen with her child inside,” said Duncan. “Every year in this country, children die or are injured because parents and other adults left them alone in a car. We need to remind that it is not safe, even for a minute, to leave children alone in a car.”

The central pieces of the campaign are posters, flyers and bookmarks displaying the message, “Children Left Alone in Vehicles….Careless, Cruel and Criminal.” The bookmark contains reminders to parents and adults of what may happen when children are left alone. The materials will be distributed through child care centers; schools; local businesses such as banks, video and convenience stores and fast-food restaurants; libraries and regional service centers. In addition, information will be available at Department of Health and Human Services locations and at health fairs and community events in the coming months.

“Merely leaving your car running and unattended, even for a few moments, is an open invitation for a car thief,” said Montgomery County Police Chief Charles A. Moose. “Leaving your child unattended in your car could have far worse, and potentially deadly, consequences. Educational efforts such as this one, provide us with opportunities to think about the consequences of our actions.”

According to a survey by the National Safe Kids Campaign, ten percent of parents report that it’s acceptable for young children to be left in a car unattended and among parents between the ages of 18 and 24, twice as many contend that it’s okay to leave a child alone in a vehicle.

Child welfare officials estimate that of the approximately 400 reports of suspected neglect they receive monthly, about five to ten percent of the reports are for children left alone in vehicles. “We saw an increase in calls around the winter holidays,” said Denyse Fredrikkson, ombudsperson for Child Welfare Services, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, “and we heard from many parents that they were not familiar with the law. We wanted to let people know about the law and about the dangers of leaving children alone in vehicles.”

Copies of the bookmark and flyer are available at every County public library, at regional service centers and at all Health and Human Services office locations. For more information, see “Unattended Children” at www.co.mo.md.us or call Child Welfare Services at 240-777-3500.

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