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Vehicle Code 15620 Research Paper

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While most parents have enough common sense to know not leave their infants and very young children alone in a car, as children get older, there may be circumstances where it does not seem unreasonable to do so. But is it ever okay to leave a child unattended in a motor vehicle in the state of California? California Vehicle Code 15620, originally referred to as Kaitlyn’s Law, was passed in 2001 after a six month old baby named Kaitlyn Russell died as a result of being left alone in a parked car for more than two hours. California Vehicle Code 15620 makes it a crime for parents, legal guardians or any other responsible person to leave a child under six years of age in a vehicle without the supervision of a person 12 years of age or older in circumstances where: • the …show more content…

The outdoor temperature is the most obvious risk, especially in the summer in warm weather climates like southern California. Many parents may not realize that within as little as ten minutes the temperature of the average motor vehicle can rise as much as twenty degrees. Even in the shade and with the windows open the temperature of a car can quickly rise to the point of creating an increased risk of heat stroke. Considering the fact that children tend to succumb to heat stroke much more quickly and easily than adults, what may seem like mild weather to an adult could be deadly to child left in such circumstances. A violation of California Vehicle Code 15620 is considered an infraction punishable by a one-hundred dollar fine and a requirement to attend an educational class on the dangers of leaving children alone in a vehicle. In accordance with the original provisions of Kaitlyn’s Law, seventy percent of the proceeds from fines collected are used for the development and implementation of community education programs to raise public awareness of the dangers of leaving children unattended in motor

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