During our humid summer months, the risk of a personal injury known as hyperthermia for small children left unattended in cars is a hot topic. Child safety advocates such as the Consumer Federation of America, Kids and Cars, and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety are teaming up to urge Congress to do something about this epidemic. They hope they can convince lawmakers to mandate auto manufacturers to equip their cars with a warning device that will alert parents or caregivers if a child is still in the car.
One of the ways this device could work is by using a weight sensor that can detect if a child is still strapped into a car seat when the driver attempts to lock the doors. According to this article, 41 children have already died from hyperthermia this year, after they were left in a hot car. Considering cars already come with beeping alarms for not putting on your seat belt or forgetting your keys in the ignition, this technology doesn’t seem too far fetched. As is often the case though, this could take a lengthy amount of time to not only pass the law, but refine the technology and have it implemented into new vehicles.
Until then, as a Columbia personal injury lawyer, I’d like to remind you about some of the key ways you can prevent forgetting your child in a car. For one, you can place something important such as a purse or laptop on the rear seat of your car so you are more likely to check back there before getting out of your car. You can also have your daycare call if your child isn’t dropped off by a certain time in the morning. Keep your car locked if you’re not using it so children are unable to enter the car and inadvertently lock themselves in.
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