New research has revealed that 48% of mothers condone the practice of leaving children unaccompanied in a car if it is ‘only for a short time’, while 55% of mums describing this type of behaviour as ‘commonplace.’

Today MummyPages.ie, who conducted the survey of mothers, issued a nationwide appeal to remind parents of the dangers of leaving children unsupervised in the family car.

The warning arises from the recurring reports of parents leaving their children in cars in the USA or worse still forgetting about them.

However, over the weekend it became a talking point when The Voice of Ireland judge, and S Club 7 singer Rachel Stevens told shoppers when she left her two young children in the car unsupervised for 10 minutes, while she ran errands in London.

According to the survye, over half (52%) of Mums object to leaving children in cars unaccompanied because:

• It’s dangerous (88%)
• It’s morally wrong (62%)
• It compromises the safety of the child (58%)
• It causes emotional, physical and mental trauma (44%)

The main findings of the report were:

• 55% of mums would describe the practice of leaving children unaccompanied in a car as ’commonplace’ in Ireland
• 48% of mums think it is acceptable to leave children unaccompanied in the car
• 40% of mums admit to leaving their own child unaccompanied in their car
• 25% of mums feel that any dangers of this practice are completely over exaggerated
• 35% of mums admit to leaving their child sleeping in their car while parked in the driveway
• 75% of mums feel parents who leave children unaccompanied for long periods of time should be prosecuted
• 94% of mums feel the government and retailers need to do more to ensure there is enough family parking spaces available

In April of this year, this issue was highlighted when Gardai were called to The Square Tallaght after a passer-by heard a child screaming after being left unaccompanied in a car for over an hour. Gardai broke into the car and brought to the child to Tallaght hospital to be assessed before being taken into State care, before it was then reunited with its distraught parents.

The research has identified a number of factors contributing to this issue, with 9 in 10 mums (94%) insisting that retailers and government need to do more to ensure there is enough family car park spaces available, making it easier for mums taking children in and out of their car seats.

The top four reasons given by mums for leaving their children unaccompanied are:

• I will only to be gone for a short time (61%)
• I didn’t want to wake my child (56%)
• My older children were looking after the younger children (32%)
• It’s too much hassle taking the children in and out of the car (26%)