The Royal Automobile Club (RAC) has issued a critical safety alert to West Australian drivers as a severe heatwave descends, following a sharp and distressing 27 per cent increase in incidents of children and pets being accidentally locked in vehicles last year.
Alarming Spike in Lock-In Incidents
New data reveals that in 2025, RAC Roadside Assistance patrols were called to a total of 569 lock-in emergencies. This troubling figure breaks down to 263 cases involving children and 306 involving pets, marking the highest number of pet lock-ins recorded in many years.
This represents a significant jump from the 413 incidents attended in 2024, which included 247 children and 166 pets. The 2025 statistics underscore a growing and dangerous trend that authorities are desperate to reverse.
A Deadly Risk in Scorching Weather
RAC senior communications manager Rhys Heron stressed that these dangerous situations can happen to anyone, often during the most mundane daily routines.
"Accidental lock-ins can happen to anyone, and they happen in seconds," Mr Heron said. "These situations are incredibly stressful, and in hot weather can become dangerous very quickly."
The warning comes as Perth braces for a blistering heatwave. The forecast predicts temperatures soaring to the mid-30s on Monday before climbing above 40 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. An extreme heatwave warning is also in place for the North Interior, with severe warnings for the Kimberley, Pilbara, Gascoyne and South Interior regions.
Inside a parked car, temperatures can become lethal within minutes, drastically increasing the risk of fatal heat stress for any living thing left inside.
How to Prevent a Tragedy
The RAC emphasises that most lock-ins occur when parents or carers are distracted by everyday tasks like loading shopping, securing children into car seats, or attending to pets.
Modern vehicles with automatic locking systems can compound the risk. "It only takes a split second for a door to swing shut or an automatic locking system to activate, leaving keys inside and a child or pet accidentally locked in," Mr Heron explained.
The club's top safety advice is simple but vital:
- Always keep your keys on your person, never on a seat or in a bag inside the car.
- Make a habit of double-checking all doors before closing them.
- If a child or pet appears to be in immediate distress or danger, call emergency services (000) immediately—do not wait for roadside assistance.
With extreme heat amplifying the danger, WA drivers are urged to remain vigilant and make vehicle safety an uncompromising priority.
