Preventing hot car deaths

“During the summer, many families change their daily routines because of vacations or other reasons, and that disruption is a common factor in these tragic incidents.” — Consumer Reports

We’ve all seen the frightening news stories where a parent has forgotten about a child in a carseat, resulting in a fatality. You might think you would never forget, but combine the exhaustion of parenting young children with the stress of work and life, then factor in a quiet or sleeping child in the backseat…all of us need to be on guard.

According to the organization Kids and Car Safety, “The most dangerous mistake a parent or caregiver can make is to think leaving a child alone in a vehicle could never happen to them or their family…this happens to the most loving, caring and protective parents.”

The good news is that technology is advancing to help prevent hot car deaths, with some manufacturers building in detection alert systems.

According to Kelly Blue Book, in 2025 vehicles or newer, the following manufacturers now offer a rear-occupant alert system: Acura, Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Genesis, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Kia, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Tesla and Toyota.

A few child safety seat manufacturers offer built-in sensors, like ones from Evenflo and Cybex. A device called SensorSafe is integrated into the chest clip of the child’s harness, and it connects to an app on your phone. SensorSafe can alert to a child left in the car, unsafe temperatures, an unbuckled chest clip and a car ride length of time beyond two hours.

You’ll find plenty of after-market devices, some high-tech ones requiring professional installation, to low-cost no-tech reminders like a bright neon slap band for your wrist. The best choice is the combination of alerts, habits and reminders that work for you and your family.

Sources: Consumer Reports, Kelly Blue Book, Kids and Car Safety, Safe in the Seat

Good advice from Kids and Car Safety

• Put your child’s diaper bag or item in the front passenger seat as a visual cue that the child is with you.

• Make it a habit of opening the back door every time you park to check that no one is left behind.

• Place an item you need to start your day with in the back seat (employee badge, laptop, handbag, etc.).

• Ask your childcare provider to call you right away if your child has not arrived on schedule.

• Announce out loud and confirm who is getting each child out of the vehicle.

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Brought to you by:

Stacie Fallau

Celebrating two years at Capitol, Stacie has grown from a role at the Contracts Desk into a dynamic position that supports multiple teams. She says, “The variety and collaboration in this role have made it especially rewarding.” Outside of work, family life is just as fulfilling with two children, Hali’a, age 18, who also works at Capitol, and Logan, age 21. Together, they enjoy exploring new restaurants, attending concerts, playing games and taking scenic road trips.