Child or Pet Locked in a Car: Call 911 First, Every Time

If a child or a pet is locked in a car, call 911 now. Call even if the child looks fine, even if the weather is mild, and even if a spare key might be on its way. A locksmith is not the first call, and neither is roadside assistance. Tell the dispatcher where you are and who is inside, and follow the dispatcher's instructions.

Why 911, and why now

A closed car changes temperature quickly. On a sunny day it heats up far faster than people expect, even when it feels cool outside. In cold weather a car that is not running loses heat. Small children and animals cope with both much worse than adults do, and a child strapped into a car seat cannot get out or open a door.

911 can send help that is trained for exactly this, and the dispatcher can tell you what to do while it comes. You do not have to decide anything on your own except to make the call.

What to tell the dispatcher

Keep it short and clear.

• Where you are. A street address, a business name, or the parking lot and the row. If you are in a big lot, say what you can see from the car.
• Who is inside. A child and their age, or a pet and what kind.
• How they seem. Awake, crying, quiet, sleeping, sweating, shivering.
• The car. Colour, make, and whether the engine is running.

Then do what the dispatcher says. Stay on the line if they ask you to.

While help is on the way

• Stay with the car. Keep the child or animal in sight.
• Talk to them. A calm voice through the glass helps a frightened child.
• Send someone else for a spare, if there is one close by. Do not leave the car yourself, and do not hang up on 911 or wait on the spare instead of help.
• Get someone to wave responders in. In a large lot, a second person at the entrance saves time.

Do not try to pry the door or fish inside with a wire. Follow the dispatcher's instructions instead.

Afterwards: the ordinary part

Once everyone is out and safe, what is left is a normal car problem.

If the keys are still locked inside the car, that is a regular car lockout, the kind covered by our emergency lockout service. Call with the make, model and year and say where the car is. If the key is lost or broken, a new key can be made. Here is our post on what to do when keys are locked in a car, which covers the free checks, roadside plans and what to tell a locksmith.

If you are in Rye and need a Rye locksmith for an empty locked car, at Playland, on Purchase Street, at the station lot or in a driveway near Milton Point, call any hour. Rye is a short drive up the Sound Shore from Larchmont, home to two of our three technicians. But if anyone is inside, it is 911 first.

How it usually happens, and how to stop it

Most of these situations start in the same few moments. A few small habits prevent most of them.

• The fob in a small hand. Toddlers love buttons. A child holding the fob can press lock while the parent is at the trunk. Keep the fob in your pocket, not in the car seat as a toy.
• The keys put down while loading. Shopping, a stroller, a car seat. The keys go on the seat or the roof, the door shuts, the car locks. Keep the keys on you until the last door is closed.
• A car that locks itself. Many cars relock automatically if no door is opened shortly after unlocking. Know whether yours does, and how to turn it off if you would rather.
• The open car in the driveway. Children climb into unlocked parked cars to play and can find themselves unable to get out. Lock the car at home, and keep the keys out of reach.
• The forgotten back seat. On a busy day with a change of routine, a quiet sleeping child can be forgotten. Put your phone, bag or work pass in the back seat so you have to open the rear door before you walk away.
• A spare with a second adult. If two adults drive the car, each should carry a key. A spare at home helps less when you are at a store across town.
• The fob battery. A dying battery can make a smart key behave oddly. Change it when the range starts to shrink.

In winter

A frozen door is not just an annoyance when a child is strapped in the back. If you are outside the car, the child is inside and no door will open, that is a 911 call too. For the everyday version with nobody inside, here is what to try with a frozen car door lock.

Frequently asked questions

My child is locked in the car. Should I call a locksmith?

No. Call 911 first, every time, and follow the dispatcher's instructions. Emergency services are trained for this and can tell you what to do while help comes. A locksmith is not the first call.

What about a dog locked in a hot car?

Call 911. Tell the dispatcher where the car is and how the animal seems, and follow their instructions. Stay with the car until help arrives.

The child seems fine. Can I wait for a spare key?

Call 911 anyway. A car can heat up or cool down faster than you expect, and a child who seems fine can change quickly. If someone can bring a spare, they can do that while you stay on the line with 911.

How do I stop this from happening again?

Keep the keys on you until every door is closed, keep the fob away from small hands, lock the car at home, and put something you always need in the back seat. If two adults drive the car, both should carry a key.

For an empty locked car, after everyone is safe, call (914) 255-6611. If anyone is inside, call 911.