Safety Advocates Urge Action to Stop Child Deaths in Hot Cars
At least 1,126 children have died in hot cars since 1990. At least 7,500 more have survived with a range of injuries鈥攎any life-altering, according to statistics released by Kids and Car Safety. Sue Ariemma who is a VP for Kids and Car Safety tells the Talk of Delmarva…
In the states of Maryland and Delaware, since they’ve been collecting data, there have been 14 hot car deaths in Maryland and three in Delaware. Auriemma adds that 17 is pretty high for the Mid-Atlantic region, as these locations are not as hot as some other states.
After more than two decades of public education, children are still dying at alarming and record-breaking rates in hot cars. Sue Ariemma also tells the Talk of Delmarva that they are thrilled that the auto-manufacturers are starting to add technology to address the issue of children either being left unknowingly in a hot car or getting into a hot car on their own. They are seeing newer technology in brands like Kia and Hyundai, which is actual occupant detection–something that is key in solving the issue…
She says the technology is there and that it’s available in some auto-manufacturers already, and they are working hard in Washington to ensure that this becomes a standard feature in all vehicles.
Kids and Car Safety, along with partners Safe Kids Worldwide, Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), and others, earlier this month hosted a public awareness campaign and demonstrated in Jacksonville, Florida how detection technology works. With the hundreds of children who have died in hot cars since 1990, it’s important to consider the ways in which this type of technology can be implemented.
In a letter to recently appointed Secretary Sean Duffy, families from across the U.S. called on the Department of Transportation to implement a legally mandated safety standard requiring this occupant detection technology in all new vehicles, aimed at preventing child deaths in hot cars.
聽As Sue Auriemma explains, these incidents don鈥檛 happen due to a lack of love for the child….
Neuroscience confirms that memory cannot be trained to always remember. When a sleeping baby in the back seat is forgotten, the consequences can be devastating. These tragedies are preventable, especially now with the current efforts to include occupant detection technology in vehicles.
Besides technology currently in the process of being implemented, there are steps parents can take to prevent these types of tragedies….
Another simple technique is to have a simple call in system with your daycare center. If your child is not dropped off at the expected time, they should call you, and if they don’t reach you personally, they should keep calling your emergency contact person until they reach a live person, not a voicemail.
Even when the outside temperatures are pleasant, there is still the risk of hot car deaths…
Auriemma mentioned one incident in March in New Jersey, and according to an affidavit, outside temperatures were in the 60s that day, but the temperature inside the vehicle reached the mid 90’s. She also explained that a small child’s body heats up three to five times faster than an adult’s body, as their cooling system is not as matured as ours.
