Drivers leaving kids alone in cars face license revocation

THE House of Representatives has approved a bill prohibiting children under eight years old from being left unattended inside a motor vehicle.

House Bill 6570, principally authored by Divina Yu (Zamboanga del Sur), Strike Revilla (Cavite) and Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo (Pampanga), was approved unanimously by lawmakers.

The bill states that no child younger than eight years old should be left unsupervised inside a vehicle by a person at least 18 years old.

According to the bill, this will be under circumstances where there are conditions that present a or safety.

This will also be applied when the engine of the motor vehicle is running or the key to the motor vehicle is anywhere inside the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.

The Land Transportation Office ( LTO) will be mandated to carry out nationwide public awareness campaigns on the prohibition and the dangers of leaving children unattended inside motor vehicles.

The LTO is also mandated to implement the act and implement the Rules and Regulations within 60 days from its effectivity, in consultation with the member- agencies of the Council for the Welfare of Children.

A penalty of P5,000 will be imposed for the first offense, P10,000 for the second offense and P50,000 for the third offense, along with confiscation of the driver’s license.

Succeeding offenses will lead to revocation of the driver’s license.