A surge in the number of kids accidentally locked in cars has sparked a warning to parents: don't think it won't happen to you.
"It's very easy for a parent, after shopping all day with kids, to give the keys to the kids as a distraction toy," NRMA spokesman Robert Younes said.
"They go back around to the back of the car, close the boot and the baby's accidentally locked the car."
Research from the organisation shows a 16 per cent rise in the number of children locked in cars over the last four years in NSW and the ACT.
In the past year, almost 2500 young children have been rescued by NRMA, with seven panicked parents each day requiring assistance.
The number of animals locked in vehicles skyrocketed nearly 90 per cent in the same period, with pets unwittingly knocking internal door locks.
Mr Younes, a former patrol officer who claims to have handled over 200 lock-ins, said a lack of awareness and complacency contributed to the rise, as well as a failure to understand a vehicle's locking technology.
The associated risks are exacerbated by hot temperatures.
"It's very important when you place the baby in the car you open all the windows when you're packing the shopping up," he said.
People who leave children unattended in a locked car face fines of up to $22,000, but it still happens, Mr Younes said.
"If you think it's going to be two minutes to run in and out of the shops, it's never going to be two minutes," he said.
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